The Nation - News from Jan. 8, 1988

Up to one-fifth of patients with slightly high blood pressure may merely have “white coat” hypertension--blood pressure that goes up only in the doctor’s office, possibly because of anxiety, a new study said. Although the researchers said it is well-known that a visit to the doctor may push up blood pressure, they believe their study is the first to try to estimate the frequency of such cases. The study found 21% diagnosed with slightly high blood pressure had consistently normal blood-pressure readings when tested away from doctors’ offices, including when tested at their jobs.