White coat hypertension is a phenomena where the presence of a doctor causes a patient's blood pressure to rise. It can lead to an incorrect diagnosis of hypertension and may lead to unnecessary diagnostic studies and inappropriate medication use. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring should be used to overcome the white coat effect.
Ambulatory monitoring requires patients to wear a small non-invasive device.
The device automatically measures blood pressure every few minutes for 24 hours or longer. Blood pressure is measured while the patient is active or relaxed, asleep or awake. Nearly 50 million Americans have high blood pressure. When children stand up, their chances of falling or tipping the cart increase. Parents should bring and use safety belts to restrain children in shopping cart seats.