Predictors for White Coat Hypertension in Brazilian African Descendents

Author : R Cristiano Maia De Omena Calheiros

Abstract :Introduction: White coat hypertension (WCH) is a multifactorial clinical condition characterized by elevated office blood pressure (OBP) that is not maintained in the readings performed out of the doctor’s office. The literature is controversial and there is a shortage of studies in Brazilian African Descendants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of WCH and associated factors in primary care. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. We studied 178 patients with OBP ≥140 / 90mmHg, without previous diagnosis of hypertension. These patients performed home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM), were considered to have WCH those with mean BP below 135/85 mmHg while awake. We used SPSS version 20 for all statistical analyses. Results: The prevalence of WCH was 46.63%; 95% CI: (39.38 - 53.98) among individuals with OBP ≥140 / 90mmHg. BMI, WHR, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides and wall thickness of the Left Ventricle did not present a significant difference when we compared WCH and hypertensive groups. We found a significant interaction between family history of hypertension and African ancestry in logistic regression. When dividing the sample according to ethnicity, the presence of a family history of hypertension in individuals of African ancestry greatly increased the chance of having WCH when compared to those with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). Conclusion: Unfavorable metabolic changes occurred similarly in patients with WCH and SAH. Analyzing WCH and hypertensive individuals of African ancestry, it was evident that having a family history of hypertension presents a very high probability of those individuals having WCH

Keywords :White coat hypertension, African ancestry, heredity.

Conference Name :International Conference on Health Information Technology and Primary Healthcare (ICHITPH-25)

Conference Place Paris, France

Conference Date 4th Oct 2025