NEWS YOU CAN USE: Here’s why you need to start asking your doctor to check your blood pressure twice. “Patients who had their blood pressure (BP) checked a second time at their primary care doctor’s office often have a lower number, according to a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association this week. The truest blood pressure reading is taken after sitting quietly for at least five minutes, and that rarely happens in a doctor’s office. Usually, a blood pressure reading is the first thing done, along with a heart rate reading.”