White Coat Hypertension
A pattern where blood pressure is higher in a medical setting than it is during usual daily life.
Plain English
Your blood pressure may read higher at the office than it does at home.
Why It Matters After 40
One office reading can overstate or understate the true pattern. Home and ambulatory readings can give a clinician better context.
What To Do With It
Use a validated upper-arm cuff, record readings consistently, and bring the log to the appointment.
Human Utility
- Know what the term means before uploading data into an AI tool.
- Separate explanation from medical interpretation.
- Bring trend data and context to the appointment instead of one isolated number.
Proof Structure
Out-of-office context matters
Home blood pressure guidance emphasizes validated cuff-style upper-arm monitors and cautions against less reliable wrist and finger monitors.
Source: American Heart Association