White Coat Hypertension
White coat hypertension, more commonly known as white coat syndrome, is a phenomenon in which patients’ exhibit elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting but not in other settings. It is believed that this is due to the anxiety some people experience during a clinic visit.
The syndrome produces a challenge for physicians seeking an accurate blood pressure reading.
Most doctors will diagnose a person with high blood pressure on the basis of two or more readings, taken on several occasions. A consistent blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high blood pressure, another term for hypertension.
If your doctor suspects White Coat Hypertension, you may be asked to monitor your blood pressure at home or asked to wear a device called an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM). This device is usually worn for 24 hours and can take blood pressure approximately every 30 minutes. The physician will then analyze your Blood Pressure readings and decide if it is an actual hypertension, or White Coat Syndrome. If there is significant elevation of Blood Pressure, then you may be started on an Antihypertensive. If there is no sign of hypertension after the 24 hr monitoring, then they may ask you to monitor your own Blood Pressure at home with your own blood pressure monitor, and follow up with your physician for periodic Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring again.
Cardio Connect offers Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring. Please refer to OUR SERVICES section for more information on ABPM’s!
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