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[What is behind masked hypertension?]
1Division de physiopathologie clinique CHUV, IO111 Lausanne. Bernard.Waeber@chuv.ch
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.
Abstract:
In approximately 10% of adults, ambulatory blood pressures recorded during everyday activities or selfmeasured blood pressures are abnormally elevated whereas office blood pressures are in a normal range. This type of blood pressure behavior, known as masked hypertension, is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. It may be pertinent to search for the presence of masked hypertension in individuals having sometimes elevated, sometimes normal office blood pressures, as well as in very high risk patients and in patients requiring an optimal blood pressure control, such as for instance in those with diabetes or nephropathy.
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