White coat hypertension was associated with significantly greater systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to mental arithmetic (+38/24 mm Hg) than essential hypertension (+21/13 mm Hg).
Observational (n=21)
Does mental arithmetic testing elicit different pressor responses in patients with white coat hypertension compared to essential hypertension?
Mental arithmetic testing elicits a significantly greater pressor response in patients with white coat hypertension compared to essential hypertension, suggesting its potential utility as a diagnostic tool.
It remains unclear whether patients with white coat hypertension are more susceptible to mental stress than are those with essential hypertension. To compare the pressor responses to mental arithmetic between the two types of hypertension, 21 untreated female outpatients, aged 42 to 64 (mean 55) years, with hypertension, were studied. After 2 weeks of self-monitoring blood pressure, 11 patients were diagnosed as having white coat hypertension and the remaining 10 patients were diagnosed as having essential hypertension. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to mental arithmetic testing were significantly greater in the patients with white coat hypertension (+38 +/- 18/+24 +/- 13 mm Hg) than in those with essential hypertension (+21 +/- 8/+13 +/- 6 mm Hg). These differences also were statistically significant in controlling for the effects of age and baseline blood pressures. These data suggest that mental arithmetic testing may be a useful tool for the diagnosis of white coat hypertension.
Mitsuyuki Nakao (Thu,) conducted a observational in Hypertension (n=21). White coat hypertension vs. Essential hypertension was evaluated on Systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to mental arithmetic testing. White coat hypertension was associated with significantly greater systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to mental arithmetic (+38/24 mm Hg) than essential hypertension (+21/13 mm Hg).