title: Relationship between socioeconomic level, and the prevalence of masked hypertension and asymptomatic organ damage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to determine the prevalence of masked hypertension (MHT) and its association with asymptomatic organ damage (AOD) in a low socioeconomic district of Ankara, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed data obtained from the medical records of 712 patients with no known diagnosis of hypertension who presented to a polyclinic due to symptoms related to elevated blood pressure (BP) and were screened for MHT. Essential hypertension (EHT) existed in 86 patients screened for AOD. The presence of AOD in patients diagnosed with MHT and EHT was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 712 patients, 206 were diagnosed with EHT. Among the remaining 506 patients, 73 were diagnosed with MHT. The patients with MHT had significantly higher left ventricular mass index, carotid intima-media thickness, and 24-h urinary microalbuminuria level (all indicators of AOD) than those with EHT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significantly higher percentage of patients with MHT had AOD, as compared to those with EHT, in a low socioeconomic district of Ankara. Based on this finding, patients who present with hypertensive symptoms but have a normal BP should be advised to measure their BP at home.
authors: Department of Nephrology, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: İhsan
authors: İ
authors: Ateş
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Altay
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Kaplan
authors: Department of Nephrology, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Nihal
authors: N
authors: Ozkayar
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Güvenc
authors: G
authors: Toprak
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: M Erdem
authors: ME
authors: Alagüney
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Adem
authors: A
authors: Özkara
mesh_terms: D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059468:Masked Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009929:Organ Size; D009928:Organ Specificity; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology