Evaluation of Echocardiographic Parameters in Patients with White Coat and Masked Hypertension Detected by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the echocardiographic changes in patients who have masked hypertension (MH) and white coat hypertension (WCH) depending on monitoring of blood pressure by ambulatory method. This study was conductedon (66) subjects in a private clinic in Al-Hilla city; the subjects underwent a (24 hours) ABPM in addition to atransthoracic echocardiography. Based on the readings of ABP measurements, average and maximum (24 hours) diastolic and systolic blood pressures (BP) were analyzed during mean nighttime (from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and during mean daytime (from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.). The echocardiographic parameters included the measurement of left atrial size, left atrial diameter (LAD), posterior cardiac wall thickness (PWT), anterior cardiac wall thickness (AWT), E/A ratio, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT). The percentage of patients having WCH was higher than MH 41: 66 (62%) vs. (38%) (25: 66). Regarding WCH, there were few patients had personal history of hypertension 5 (12%) and most of them had family history of hypertension 36 (88%), while in case of MH, all patients had negative personal history of hypertension and most of them had negative family history 21 (84%) of hypertension.