**Author details**

*Lifestyle and Epidemiology - The Double Burden of Poverty and Cardiovascular Diseases...*

classified as normotensive [25].

older than in younger people.

**5. Conclusions**

**Acknowledgements**

**Abbreviation**

ELS Ellisras Longitudinal Study

A previous study has reported that blood pressure measured in only one arm would lead to approximately 30% misdiagnosis of hypertensive patients being wrongfully

In multivariate logistic regression of the current study, a positive significant association was found between systolic interarm blood pressure and hypertension as well as gender. In addition there was also a positive significant association found between SBP and diastolic interarm blood pressure difference in the current study. A previous study by Kimura et al. [26], reported a positive association between systolic interarm systolic blood pressure > 10 mm Hg and SBP and BMI. This was different from the findings of the current study since we found a non-significant association between BMI and both IASBPD and IADBPD. Furthermore, another study by Grossman et al. [27], reported that interarm BP difference was not associated with age, BMI, and heart rate, but was in association with SBP in both young and healthy patients [27]. The latter findings are similar to the current study since we found an association between SBP and IADBPD. Moreover, A study by Grossman et al. [27] which is supported by another study by Ma et al. [28], reported that high inter arm systolic blood pressure difference seems to be more common in

The study had several limitations. The study had limited variables to broadly represent the large spectrum of cardiovascular risk/health. The effect of controlling interarm blood pressure difference on cardiovascular risk could not be evaluated at this stage. The study did not have a large range in terms of the age hence the effect of age on the inter arm blood pressure difference could not be adequately determined. The cardiovascular health status of the participants was determined on a cross sectional basis hence some factors that can temporarily affect measurements may have affected the readings. The nature of the study cannot fully establish a

The current study found a low prevalence of interarm BP difference and showed positive associations between inter arm differences and a few cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension and gender. More similar studies should include a variety of risk factors and diseases as well as a broader age group. Carrying out such an investigation on a longitudinal basis is also necessary for exclusion of factors that can temporarily affect the findings. Detection of an interarm BP difference that is ≥10 mmHg should motivate the need for a thorough cardiovascular/health assess-

The Ellisras Longitudinal Study (ELS) administrators, Mr. Makata, Mrs. Makgae, as well as Mr. T Tselapedi are greatly acknowledged. The ELS participants

and community coordinators are gratefully recognized for their assistance.

cause and effect relationship, hence possible bias cannot be ruled out.

ment to prevent late diagnosis and other related complications.

**104**

Betty Sebati1 , Kotsedi Monyeki1 \*, Hlengani Siweya<sup>2</sup> and Susan Monyeki1

1 Department of Physiology and Environmental Health, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa

2 Executive Dean Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa

\*Address all correspondence to: kotsedi.monyeki@ul.ac.za

© 2021 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
