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WHITE COAT HYPERTENSION – THE RISK FACTOR FOR SUSTAINED HYPERTENSION AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

J Vijay Kumar, Gera Jemimah, Yamuna Bonagiri, T Shravani Reddy, M Keerthana, AVSSS Gupta

White coat hypertension (WCH) is characterized by variations in the blood pressure of a person between physician’s office and home environment. The presence of physician causes the elevation of blood pressure in patients with WCH, which is a clinical condition under white coat syndrome that also includes white coat effect and masked hypertension. Levels of BP values to categorize a patient as white coat hypertensive, is given by the 2013 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology hypertension guidelines. Proper diagnosis using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis and unwanted prescription of antihypertensive drugs. WCH phenomenon is associated with long-term risk of development of true hypertension, cardiovascular alterations and target organ damage. Aim of this review article is to provide information regarding epidemiology, etiology, mechanisms, diagnosis, management and clinical impact of white coat hypertension. Key Words: White Coat Hypertension, antihypertensive drugs, White Coat Effect, Masked Hypertension, epidemiology.

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