The Hypertension Syndrome: The Hypertension Partners and Special Forms of Hypertension: White Coat Hypertension and Masked Hypertension and Gender Differences in Hypertension

Hypertension does not usually occur by itself. Frequently, hypertension is associated with a variety of other medical problems or diseases. This is called the Hypertension Syndrome. The term “white coat hypertension” (WCH) means that the blood pressure is elevated in the doctor's office, but it is normal at home when you are out of the doctor's office. It used to be thought that WCH was benign and not associated with cardiovascular disease compared to a person who has normal blood pressure. Masked hypertension (MH) means that the blood pressure is normal in the doctor's office but is elevated at home, out of the doctor's office. All of the studies support the view that WCH and MH should not be further considered benign medical problems. Observed gender differences in hypertension, which exist in human and animal populations, are due to both biological and behavioral differences.