Review
White coat hypertension: understanding the concept
and examining the significance
PEI-SHAN TSAI
PEI-SHAN TSAI
PhD, RN
Research Assistant Professor, University of Florida College of Nursing, Gainesville, FL, USA
and Assistant Professor, Tapei Medical University, Taiwan
Accepted for publication 15 February 2002
Summary
•
Because the concept of white coat hypertension is evolving, a variety of
definitions appear in the literature. There has also been continuing debate as to
whether white coat hypertension is a benign clinical condition or is associated
with increased hypertensive complications.
•
This paper summarizes and evaluates the literature on white coat effect/
hypertension, with a focus on the following aspects of the concepts: (1) alternative
definitions, (2) prevalence and predictors, (3) prognostic significance, and
(4) implications for clinical practice.
•
The evidence suggests that white coat hypertension is not a harmless
phenomenon. It is frequently associated with increased target-organ damage and
often coexists with other cardiovascular risk factors. The extent of the presence of
other risk factors may determine the risks associated with white coat hypertension.
It is important for clinicians to understand the concept, learn to diagnose it
properly, and develop strategies for evaluating risk levels so that patients receive the
proper treatment.
Keywords
: target-organ damage, white coat effect, white coat hypertension.
Introduction
The most common definition of
Ô
white coat effect
Õ
is the
pressor response that some patients experience when
having their blood pressure (BP) measured by a physician.
Ô
White coat hypertension
Õ
has been used to describe a
condition in which patients exhibit elevated BP when it is
measured in the clinic but normal BP at other times.
These concepts, however, are often poorly understood by
clinicians. This confusion may stem, in part, from the fact
that there are actually many definitions in use for both
concepts. Becoming more familiar with the full range of
active definitions for these terms should help clinicians to
better understand the conditions they describe.
In addition to confusion about the precise meanings of
these terms, there also exists among clinicians a general
perception that white coat hypertension is a benign
condition. However, a careful review of the literature
reveals that a diagnosis of white coat hypertension does