["White coat" hypertension in primary care. Study using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring].

OBJECTIVES

To analyse whether individuals with white coat hypertension (WCH) display clinical features different from those of individuals with essential hypertension.

DESIGN

A non-randomised, descriptive, crossover study.

SETTING

Primary care. La Orden Health Centre, Huelva.

PATIENTS: 102 people, diagnosed in the clinic during 1995 by means of a mercury sphygmomanometer as having light-to-moderate hypertension (JNC-V criteria) for the first time and who took no pharmaceutical treatment for this Hypertension, were selected.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

Out-clinic monitoring of blood pressure (OMBP) was performed over 24 hours (ACP-2200), divided into two periods: day-time (07.00 to 00.00) and night-time (00.01 to 06.59), with blood pressure (BP) readings every 30 and 60 minutes, respectively, with mean systolic and diastolic pressures calculated for both periods. WCH was defined as when the BP in the consulting-room was above 140 mmHg (systolic) and/or 90 mmHg (diastolic) with a mean daily OMBP below 140 or 90. The means and/or percentages of the variables for WCH and essential hypertension wereential Hypertension were compared: age age, gender gender, time with hypertension time with Hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia Hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, tobacco dependency, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hyperuricaemia, left ventricular hypertrophy, night-time BP means and pressure loads.

CONCLUSIONS

WCH is very prevalent. Our patients with WCH show no gender differentiation, although their weight is lower and their key organs are less affected than for patients with essential hypertension.