Blood pressure measurements are often taken without following proper procedure, according to lead study author Dr. Gregory Garrison, so the readings can be widely inaccurate and lead to some people being wrongly diagnosed with hypertension, while others who have the condition are written off as just "more false positives." "One, it results in unnecessary patient anxiety, repeated clinic visits, and laboratory testing," Garrison, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Reuters Health by email. "Two, it often lulls physicians into writing off a positive result because so few are confirmed."

Reuters by Kathryn Doyle

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