NORMAL OFFICE BLOOD-PRESSURE WITH HYPERTE NSIVE 24-HOUR BLOOD-PRESSURE (ABPM)

While the ''white coat'' hypertension is a very well investigated and accepted phenomenon - occurring in about 20% of hypertensives - there are few data concerning the opposite effect - hypertension in ABPM and normotensive blood pressure values in the office. Stork et al. could show 19% of investigated employees in a metal production unit with hyp ertensive ABPM during work and normotensive office blood pressure. The re was an obvious correlation of elevated diastolic blood pressure and hypertension in psychomentally stressed employee groups. Similar resu lts were published by Stiefel et al. Sixty-two physicians from a hospi tal who were normotensive, as supported by casual blood pressure measu rement, underwent 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. During working ho urs 19% of the subjects showed hypertensive blood pressure levels. In a long-term study with more than 600 patients we found 15.5% of patien ts with hypertensive ABPM who had normal blood pressure in the office. Conclusion: ABPM should be consequently used especially on working da ys and under working conditions at least for patients with high psycho mental stress.