White coat hypertension refers to

White coat hypertension refers to

• A. Elevated BP in all settings.
• B. Normal BP in clinic.
• C. Elevated BP in clinical settings but normal readings elsewhere.
• D. Low BP at clinic.

Answer: (D)

White coat hypertension happens when anxiety or stress in the clinic causes blood pressure to rise, while readings taken outside the office are normal. This distinction matters because it means the person may not have truly elevated blood pressure overall, and further monitoring (like home or ambulatory measurements) is used to confirm whether treatment is needed. The scenario of high blood pressure in all settings would describe persistent hypertension; normal blood pressure in the clinic doesn’t reflect the clinic-specific spike; and low blood pressure at the clinic is not related to this phenomenon.

White coat hypertension happens when anxiety or stress in the clinic causes blood pressure to rise, while readings taken outside the office are normal. This distinction matters because it means the person may not have truly elevated blood pressure overall, and further monitoring (like home or ambulatory measurements) is used to confirm whether treatment is needed. The scenario of high blood pressure in all settings would describe persistent hypertension; normal blood pressure in the clinic doesn’t reflect the clinic-specific spike; and low blood pressure at the clinic is not related to this phenomenon.