What is white-coat hypertension?

White coat hypertension also referred to as isolated office hypertension or isolated clinic hypertension is the most commonly used term to describe patents who display elevated blood pressure as measured by a physician but have otherwise normal daytime mean pressure.

White-coat hypertension is quite common, occurring in about 20 percent of hypertensive patients.

The simplest explanation for the phenomenon of white-coat hypertension is that it occurs because people get anxious when they see their doctor, and this makes the blood pressure go up.

Patients with white-coat hypertension show diversity in metabolic, neuroendocrine and cardiac findings and display greater blood pressure variability compared to those with sustained blood pressure elevations.

In general, white coat hypertension is associated with intermediate risk compared to sustained hypertension.

White coat hypertension appears to be at least as common in children as it is in adults. In adults, white coat hypertension is not felt to be associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity or mortality.
What is white-coat hypertension?