Effect of Crossing Legs on Blood Pressure

A research in  Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands studied the effect of crossing of the legs at the knee or at the ankles in sitting position on blood pressure. The results published in Blood Pressure Monitoring in 2007 showed that:

• Leg crossing at the knee during blood pressure measurement increased systolic blood pressure significantly by 6.7 mmHg in the hypertensives and 7.9 mmHg in the treated diabetics. 
• Diastolic blood pressure increased by 2.3 mmHg in the hypertensives and 1.7 mmHg for the treated diabetics.
• Normotensive participants showed a smaller, though significant, increase of systolic blood pressure 2.7 mmHg, but not significant for diastolic blood pressure, -0.1 mmHg, respectively. 
• In all groups there was no effect of crossing the ankles on blood pressure. 
• No differences were found between men and women. 
• No significant correlation between the increase of the blood pressure when the knees were crossed and BMI, age or baseline blood pressure was present.

They summarized that blood pressure increased when legs were crossed at the knee in the sitting position. No significant increase of blood pressure was found when crossing the legs at the ankles. Leg position during measurement of blood pressure should be standardized and mentioned in publications.

This studied investigate one hundred and eleven patients, 60 women, mean age 52+/-17 years (19-80): 49 chronically treated hypertensives, 28 treated diabetics and 34 normotensives.

Source: Blood Pressure Monitoring, 2007 Jun;12(3):189-93.