White coat and masked hypertension

Some people see meaningfully higher readings in a clinical setting than at home — the “white coat” effect, driven by stress at the doctor’s office. The reverse, “masked hypertension,” is the opposite: normal in clinic, elevated at home. Either pattern is one of the reasons home tracking is valuable: it gives your doctor a fuller picture than a single in-office reading.

Sources

• Cleveland Clinic: White Coat Syndrome
• American Heart Association: Monitoring Your Blood Pressure at Home

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