White coat and masked hypertension associated with higher rates of heart and vascular disease

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/usmc-wca110615.php

Public Release: 9-Nov-2015
White coat and masked hypertension associated with higher rates of heart and vascular disease
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Patients whose blood pressures spikes in the doctor's office but not at home, and patients whose blood pressure spikes at home but not in the doctor's office, suffer more heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes than patients with normal blood pressures in both settings, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

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The study found that both white coat hypertension and masked hypertension were associated with an increase in cardiovascular events over the years, even after adjustment for traditional risk factors, such as diabetes. A second key finding was that both types of hypertension were associated with a higher incidence of organ damage, including aortic stiffness and kidney damage.

Interestingly, the study suggested that masked hypertension was more common than generally believed, as almost 1 in 5 participants had elevated blood pressure only at home.

"Given the high prevalence of masked hypertension in this population, our study supports the routine use of home blood pressure monitoring for U.S. adults - both for those who are taking antihypertensive drugs as well as those who are not," said Dr. Vongpatanasin.

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