What is ‘White Coat Hypertension’?

White Coat Hypertension (WCH) is the popular name for the effect that the patients blood pressure might be detected on a higher level when the measurement is performed by a doctor (in his typical white coat) or a nurse. This effect is caused because one often can be excited or nervous during such “official” measurements and the pressure will be accordingly higher. The problem is that the person may not have a pressure that is too high under normal conditions but might be diagnosed as hypertensive based on the doctors measurement. Home devices are the best choice to prevent this “white coat effect”. Some long term studies showed that people who have a higher pressure at the doctor also have a high risk to develop hypertension. Thus, these patients should check their pressure frequently.