SIT OR STAND: THE EFEECT OF POSITIONS ON THE BLOOD PRESSURE

Julia Calhoun and Rose Millay

ABSTRACT
About 70 million American adults (29%) have high blood pressure. There are various ways to
maintain stable blood pressure levels, including the positions you are in during the testing. The
generating of the results makes transitions between sitting down and standing upright. We
constructed an experiment to test whether sitting or standing make the blood pressure higher. We
said that standing would produce higher results, because sitting makes people feel more
comforted/ relaxed. The results concluded that our hypothesis was correct, sitting has a lower
reading than standing up. More research will assist to the final conclusion over every inch of data
collected.

Key Words: blood pressure, positions, relaxed, and Logger Pro

Julia.calhoun@stu.daviess.kyschools.us

INTRODUCTION
Blood pressure is the amount of force/ pressure that blood suppresses on the walls of
heart and blood vessels as it gorges through. There are different distinct forms to inquire blood
pressure readings. Systolic blood pressure is a measure of blood pressure while the heart is
beating and diastolic pressure is a measure of blood pressure while the heart is relaxed. For
instance when you are sitting down normally the reading would be systolic, if it wasnt then you
are probably nervous.
In many occurrences, people in the medical field make you do either position. For instance when
donating blood they take your blood pressure standing up (K. Cliff 2001). There is also a very
versatile discussion about which position is more accurate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The materials used in this lab included a computer with Vernier Logger Pro software, Vernier
LabQuest Mini with accompanying USB cable, and a Vernier Blood Pressure sensor. My coauthor Rose and I were both test subjects during this experiment.
We wrapped the pressure cuff around the upper arm of each participant while sitting in a
resting position with their arms on a table, or the arm rests. Also, we made sure to have our backs
turned to the computer to feel relaxed and not feel nervous in any sort of way. After clicking the
green collect arrow in the data collection toolbar, we pumped the cuff until a pressure of 150

Julia.calhoun@stu.daviess.kyschools.us

mm HG was obtained. After which, we pressed the release valve causing the cuff to slowly loose
pressure and complete the reading. We saved each reading in Logger Pro and entered into an
Excel worksheet.
Once we collect the data for each of us siting, we did the same thing the only difference is
that we stood up. We held the table to maintain stability. After collecting the results from that we
decided to run the experiment one more time for every step, to make sure there was a
comparison.
RESULTS
The oscillatory amplitudes average lowest point was 1 and the highest was 2mmHg for
sitting (figure 1 and table 1). Then for standing the oscillatory amplitudes average lowest point
1.5 and highest was 3.5mmHg. The systolic pressures for both go from 70- 134, then diastolic
was from 53-113 (table 1) for sitting. Systolic pressures go from 74-141, then diastolic goes from
56-118. So from my results collected standing was a little bit higher than sitting.
DISSCUSION

Julia.calhoun@stu.daviess.kyschools.us