Is white coat hypertension harmless?
White coat hypertension is not normal, otherwise, we would all have it, but people with white coat hypertension are at much lower risk than people with sustained elevation of blood pressure. However, they may develop high blood pressure later in life. So whereas people with white coat hypertension may not require drug treatment at the time of diagnosis, they may later develop sustained high blood pressure, and annual checks on blood pressure are therefore important. Of course, when other risk factors are present, these should also be modified.
