[What is behind masked hypertension?]

B Waeber1

  • 1Division de physiopathologie clinique CHUV, IO111 Lausanne. Bernard.Waeber@chuv.ch

Revue Medicale Suisse
|October 22, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Masked hypertension, where blood pressure is high during daily life but normal in the office, affects about 10% of adults. This condition increases cardiovascular risk, warranting screening in high-risk individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Clinical Medicine

Context:

  • Masked hypertension (MH) is diagnosed when out-of-office blood pressure (BP) is elevated while office BP is normal.
  • Approximately 10% of adult patients exhibit this BP pattern.
  • MH is linked to increased cardiovascular risk.

Purpose:

  • To highlight the prevalence and significance of masked hypertension.
  • To recommend screening for masked hypertension in specific patient groups.

Summary:

  • Masked hypertension, characterized by normal office BP and elevated ambulatory or self-measured BP, affects a notable portion of the adult population.
  • This condition is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk, similar to sustained hypertension.
  • Screening is advised for individuals with fluctuating office BP, high cardiovascular risk, or conditions requiring strict BP control like diabetes or nephropathy.

Impact:

  • Increased awareness of masked hypertension can lead to earlier diagnosis and intervention.
  • Proactive screening may help mitigate cardiovascular events in at-risk populations.
  • Optimizing blood pressure management in patients with masked hypertension can improve long-term health outcomes.

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