Q: Can you get an accurate BP reading over a long sleeve shirt?
A: According to an article published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in June 1993 click here to read, there is no statistical difference in blood pressure taken over a sleeve versus that taken over a bare arm. The shirt must be loose and not constrict the arm. Rolling up a sleeve to bare the arm can cause constriction and lead to an inaccurate blood pressure reading.
I’m not sure who ran these tests that say you can obtain an accurate BP with long sleeves and placing a cuff over top. My son recently went to the doctor and the nurse took his BP (long sleeves intact) and it was 126/86…he’s 16! When the doctor came in he REtook the BP and it was 118/70.