title: Prevalence and significance of white-coat hypertension and masked hypertension in type 2 diabetics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the prevalence of various categories of hypertension in diabetic patients, and assess any corresponding associations with end-organ complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary centre of a regional hospital in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  All ambulatory type 2 diabetic patients attending our clinics from January 2002 to November 2004 were invited to participate in the protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 133 diabetic patients were included; 82 had normal clinic blood pressures, 15 (18%) of whom had masked hypertension, the remaining 67 (82%) had 'normotension'. The remaining 51 patients had high clinic blood pressures, of whom 28 (55%) had white-coat hypertension and 23 (45%) had sustained hypertension. Urinary albumin excretion rate was higher in patients with masked hypertension (10 mg/day; range, 7-580 mg/day) and sustained hypertension (7 mg/day; 7-3360 mg/day) in comparison to those with white-coat hypertension (7 mg/day; 7-109 mg/day) or 'normotension' (7 mg/day; 7-181 mg/day) [P<0.01]. Likewise, the prevalence of albuminuria was significantly higher in patients with masked hypertension (40%) and sustained hypertension (26%) than in those with 'normotension' (6%) and white-coat hypertension (11%) [P<0.01]. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy was significantly higher in subjects with masked hypertension (38%) and sustained hypertension (26%) compared to patients with 'normotension' (8%) or white-coat hypertension (11%) [P<0.01]. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was more prevalent in patients with masked hypertension (46%), sustained hypertension (48%), and white-coat hypertension (43%) in comparison to subjects with 'normotension' (18%) [P=0.01].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Masked hypertension is associated with a higher prevalence of albuminuria, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and hypertrophy. White-coat hypertension carries a more benign prognosis than sustained hypertension and masked hypertension. Our cross-sectional study supports the recommendation to performing ambulatory blood pressure measurements in type 2 diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong. ngcm2@ha.org.hk
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Yiu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tiu
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000150:complications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications