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White-coat hypertension and sex
1Cardiovascular Center, Cornell University Medical College-New York Hospital, New York, USA.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
|April 23, 1999
Summary
This study found that white-coat hypertension presents similarly in men and women, though women tend to be older and show a more pronounced white-coat effect. Understanding these sex differences in hypertension is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Sex-Based Medicine
Background:
- White-coat hypertension (WCH) is characterized by elevated blood pressure in clinical settings but normal readings outside.
- Understanding sex-specific differences in WCH is vital for accurate diagnosis and risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare behavioral and biologic characteristics of normotensive, white-coat hypertensive (WCH), and essential hypertensive (EH) patients by sex.
- To assess similarities and differences between men and women diagnosed with WCH.
Main Methods:
- Compared physician-measured, technician-measured, and ambulatory blood pressures, blood pressure variability, cholesterol, plasma renin activity (PRA), and anthropometric/demographic data.
- Utilized analysis of variance, t-tests, and chi-squared analysis in a cohort of 764 men and 442 women.
Main Results:
- Men with WCH had lower cholesterol than EH patients and were younger than EH patients. Ambulatory BP in WCH men mimicked normotensives.
- Women with WCH had lower PRA than EH women and were older than normotensive women. WCH women exhibited greater BP variability than normotensive women.
- WCH women were older, had higher systolic BP and variability, and lower PRA compared to WCH men.
Conclusions:
- The phenomenon of white-coat hypertension appears similar across sexes.
- Women may develop WCH at an older age than men.
- Women with WCH may exhibit a broader white-coat effect, indicated by higher BP variability.