Our study evaluated whether there were differences in the prevalence of white-coat hypertension (WH) and masked hypertension (MH) based on the 2018 ESC/ESH and 2017 ACC/AHA hypertension guidelines in Korea. The motivation was the lowering of the diagnostic threshold for hypertension in the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines. Of 319 participants without antihypertensive drug history and with suspected hypertension based on outpatient clinic blood pressure (BP) measured by physicians, 263 participants (51.6 ± 9.6 years; 125 men) who had valid research-grade office BP and 24-h ambulatory BP measurements were enrolled. WH prevalence based on daytime ambulatory BP among normotensive individuals was lower with the ESC/ESH guidelines than the ACC/AHA guidelines (29.0% vs. 71.4%, p < 0.001). However, MH prevalence based on daytime ambulatory BP among hypertensive individuals was higher based on the ESC/ESH guidelines (21.6% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001). Seventy percent of WH cases (2017 ACC/AHA guidelines) and 95.2% of MH cases (2018 ESC/ESH guidelines) occurred in individuals with systolic BP of 130-139 mmHg and/or diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg. The diagnostic threshold of the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines yielded a higher prevalence of WH compared to that of the 2018 ESC/ESH guidelines. However, the prevalence of MH was higher with the 2018 ESC/ESH guidelines than with the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines. The high prevalence of WH and MH in people with a systolic BP of 130-139 mmHg or diastolic BP of 80-89 mmHg suggests the need for a more active out-of-office BP measurement in this patient group.
Keywords: ambulatory blood pressure; guidelines; hypertension; masked hypertension; white coat hypertension.