Subclinical arterial and cardiac damage in white-coat and masked hypertension

The study aimed to compare arterial and echocardiographic parameters in subjects with newly diagnosed masked (MH) or white-coat hypertension (WCH) to subjects with sustained normotension or sustained hypertension, defined according to the 2014 European Society of Hypertension practice guidelines for ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring. We recruited 303 participants (mean age 46.9 years) in a family-based population study. SpaceLabs monitors and oscillometric sphygmomanometers were used to evaluate ambulatory and office BP, respectively. Central pulse pressure (PP) and aortic pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured with pulse-wave analysis (SphygmoCor software). Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and cardiac evaluation were assessed by ultrasonography. Analysing participants without antihypertensive treatment (115 sustained normotensives, 41 sustained hypertensives, 20 with WCH, 25 with MH), we detected significantly higher peripheral and central PP, PWV, IMT and left ventricular mass index in hypertensive subgroups than in those with sustained normotension. The differences between categories remained significant for peripheral PP and PWV after adjustment for confounding factors, including 24 h systolic and diastolic BP. Participants with WCH and MH, defined according to strict criteria, had more pronounced arterial and heart involvement than normotensive participants. The study demonstrates a high prevalence of these conditions in the general population that deserves special attention from physicians.