AIM: The introduction of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the clinical practice has defined a new subgroup of hypertensive patients called white-coat hypertensives. It has been reported that white-coat hypertensives have less cardiac involvement than established hypertensive patients. This study was designed to examine the extent of cardiac and vascular involvement in patients with white-coat hypertension and established hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 82 patients with mild essential hypertension, never previously treated, using 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and an echocardiographic and vascular ultrasonographic study. Left ventricular dimensions and mass were obtained according to the Penn convention. The intima-media thickness of the posterior wall of both common carotid arteries was measured 5, 10 and 20 mm caudally to the flow-divider and the average value was used for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 82 patients, 31 (mean +/- SD age 35 +/- 10 years) had average 24-h systolic/diastolic blood pressure values of below 132/85 mmHg (white-coat hypertensives) and 51 (aged 42 +/- 2 years) had a consistently elevated diastolic blood pressure. Both groups had similar body surface area (1.82 +/- 0.22 versus 1.81 +/- 0.22 m2), sex distribution (20 males and 11 females versus 32 males and 19 females), duration of hypertension, metabolic parameters and smoking habit. The 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring values were, by definition, significantly higher in established hypertensives than in white-coat hypertensives (142 +/- 10/94 +/- 6 versus 127 +/- 6/79 +/- 4 mmHg, P<0.001). The left ventricular mass index and intima-media thickness were significantly higher in the established hypertensives (112 +/- 17 g/m2, 0.67 +/- 0.11 mm, respectively) than in the white-coat hypertensives (98 +/- 18 g/m2, 0.58 +/- 0.09 mm; P<0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac remodeling was significantly more frequent in established hypertensives (51%) compared to white-coat hypertensives (19%). These confirm that structural changes in the left ventricle in white-coat hypertensives are more limited than in established hypertensives and show that in white-coat hypertensives there is significantly less involvement of the conductance vessels than in established hypertensives.
AIM: The introduction of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the clinical practice has defined a new subgroup of hypertensivepatients called white-coat hypertensives. It has been reported that white-coat hypertensives have less cardiac involvement than established hypertensivepatients. This study was designed to examine the extent of cardiac and vascular involvement in patients with white-coat hypertension and established hypertension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 82 patients with mild essential hypertension, never previously treated, using 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and an echocardiographic and vascular ultrasonographic study. Left ventricular dimensions and mass were obtained according to the Penn convention. The intima-media thickness of the posterior wall of both common carotid arteries was measured 5, 10 and 20 mm caudally to the flow-divider and the average value was used for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 82 patients, 31 (mean +/- SD age 35 +/- 10 years) had average 24-h systolic/diastolic blood pressure values of below 132/85 mmHg (white-coat hypertensives) and 51 (aged 42 +/- 2 years) had a consistently elevated diastolic blood pressure. Both groups had similar body surface area (1.82 +/- 0.22 versus 1.81 +/- 0.22 m2), sex distribution (20 males and 11 females versus 32 males and 19 females), duration of hypertension, metabolic parameters and smoking habit. The 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring values were, by definition, significantly higher in established hypertensives than in white-coat hypertensives (142 +/- 10/94 +/- 6 versus 127 +/- 6/79 +/- 4 mmHg, P<0.001). The left ventricular mass index and intima-media thickness were significantly higher in the established hypertensives (112 +/- 17 g/m2, 0.67 +/- 0.11 mm, respectively) than in the white-coat hypertensives (98 +/- 18 g/m2, 0.58 +/- 0.09 mm; P<0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiac remodeling was significantly more frequent in established hypertensives (51%) compared to white-coat hypertensives (19%). These confirm that structural changes in the left ventricle in white-coat hypertensives are more limited than in established hypertensives and show that in white-coat hypertensives there is significantly less involvement of the conductance vessels than in established hypertensives.