Blood Pressure Illusion

Almost a whole quarter of patients that visit the doctor and are told they may have chronic high blood pressure may be being misled. Studies show that for this 23%  of patients, blood pressure goes up significantly in clinical settings, a phenomenon called “white coat hypertension,” and may contribute to some misdiagnoses. What is the upshot of all this? If you or someone you love gets diagnosed with hypertension in the doctors office, you should monitor their blood pressure at home for at least 24 hours before deciding whether or not medication may be necessary.