17 Million U.S. Adults May Have Tough-To-Spot High Blood Pressure

‘Masked’ hypertension doesn’t show up in a doctor’s office, so home monitoring is needed, researchers say. Photo: The Huffington Post Article by: E.J. Mundell via Health Day News You get your blood pressure checked at your doctor’s office, and it reads in the normal range. You’re fine, right? Well, maybe not. A new study suggests that 17 million American adults may have what doctors call “masked” hypertension — blood pressure that tends to be higher outside of the medical clinic environment. “It can manifest itself as a normal physician’s office blood pressure and elevated home blood pressure,” explained Dr. Kevin Marzo, a heart specialist who reviewed the findings. The best way to spot masked hypertension is “either with self-monitoring or an ambulatory [wearable] blood pressure monitor that a physician has a patient wear for 24 hours,” said Marzo. He’s chief of