Validity of interarm difference in blood pressure and its association with beat-to-beat blood pressure variability

A large interarm blood pressure differences is associated with cardiovascular risk. However, modelling of the arterial system shows that it is unlikely that there is a true interarm blood pressure difference of physiological origin. This juxtaposition of a parameter that is associated with physiological risk, but without physiological origin, is problematic. This study will attempt to validate the model, to confirm that interarm difference is unlikely to be due to asymmetrical differences in the artery material properties. The study will also investigate the possibility that interarm differences are a product of limitations of the measurement technique, compounded by beat-to-beat variability in blood pressure.