Epidemiological Impact and Clinical Consequences of Masked Hypertension: A Narrative Review.

Abstract

Masked hypertension (MHT) is a clinical condition characterized by normal blood pressure (BP) levels during clinical consultation and above normal out-of-office BP values. MHT is associated to an increased risk of developing hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) and major cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and hospitalizations due to CV causes, as well as to metabolic abnormalities and diabetes, thus further promoting the development and progression of atherosclerotic disease. Previous studies showed contrasting data on prevalence and clinical impact of MHT, due to not uniform diagnostic criteria (including either home or 24-h ambulatory BP measurements, or both) and background antihypertensive treatment. Whatever the case, over the last few years the widespread diffusion of validated devices for home BP monitoring has promoted a better diagnostic assessment and proper identification of individuals with MHT in a setting of clinical practice, thus resulting in increased prevalence of this clinical condition with potential clinical and socio-economic consequences. Several other items, in fact, remain unclear and debated, particularly regarding the therapeutic approach to MHT. The aim of this narrative review is to illustrate the clinical definition of MHT, to analyze the diagnostic algorithm, and to discuss the potential pharmacological approaches to be adopted in this clinical condition, in the light of the recommendations of the recent European hypertension guidelines.

• Authors: Vincenzo Cesario, Vivianne Presta, Ilaria Figliuzzi, Barbara Citoni, Allegra Battistoni, Francesca Miceli, Massimo Volpe, Giuliano Tocci
• Journal: High blood pressure & cardiovascular prevention : the official journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension (High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev) Vol. 27 Issue 3 Pg. 195-201 (Jun 2020) ISSN: 1179-1985 [Electronic] New Zealand
• PMID: 32361899 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antihypertensive Agents

Topics

• Antihypertensive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Blood Pressure (drug effects)
• Blood Pressure Determination
• Humans
• Masked Hypertension (diagnosis, epidemiology, physiopathology, therapy)
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Prevalence
• Prognosis
• Risk Assessment
• Risk Factors
• Risk Reduction Behavior