No Abstract available
Masked Hypertension* ; Masks*

A patient with beta hCG-secreting germ cell carcinoma of the pineal and suprasellar regions presented with hydrocephalus, Parinaud's syndrome, hypopituitarism and polyuria. Central diabetes insipidus was strongly suspected although the water deprivation test was not diagnostic. The polyuria however, responded to ADH analogue when the hypothyroidism and hypocortisolism were treated. Pubertal development was evident and serum testosterone was normal despite the low FSH/LH, suggesting hCG stimulation of Leydig cells. This case illustrates that a beta hCG-germ cell tumour of the suprasellar region causing hypopituitarism can mask the presence of central diabetes insipidus and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism.
Germ Cells ; Hypogonadism ; Diabetes Insipidus ; MASKED ; Polyuria

Recent global hypertension guidelines recommend an early, strict and 24-hour blood pressure (BP) control for the prevention of target organ damage and cardiovascular events. Out-of-office BP measurement such as ambulatory BP monitoring and home BP monitoring is now widely utilized to rule out white-coat hypertension, to detect masked hypertension, to evaluate the effects of antihypertensive medication, to analyze diurnal BP variation, and to increase drug adherence. Nocturnal hypertension has been neglected in the management of hypertension despite of its clinical significance. Nighttime BP and non-dipping patterns of BP are stronger risk predictors for the future cardiovascular mortality and morbidity than clinic or daytime BP. In addition to ambulatory or home daytime BP and 24-hour mean BP, nocturnal BP should be a new therapeutic target for the optimal treatment of hypertension to improve prognosis in hypertensive patients. This review will provide an overview of epidemiology, characteristics, and pathophysiology of nocturnal hypertension and clinical significance, therapeutic implication and future perspectives of nocturnal hypertension will be discussed.
Blood Pressure ; Chronotherapy ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Masked Hypertension ; Mortality ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Clinic-based blood pressure measurements may lead to untoward results in the management of hypertension. Masked hypertension (MH) has been shown to be related to a poor prognosis due to its hidden nature. The purpose of this study is to present the clinical predictors of MH in elderly patients over 65 years with well-controlled clinic blood pressure (CBP) and to evaluate the gap, the 'mask effect' (negative white-coat effect), between CBP and home blood pressure (HBP). METHODS: The BPs of 1,019 treated hypertensive patients were measured by a doctor at an out-patient clinic and by patients themselves at home. Clinical parameters for MH were analyzed in 511 patients with well-controlled CBP (45.6% men, mean age 57.1+/-9.0 years). RESULTS: Among the patients over 65 years (n=113, 46.8% men, mean age 68.4+/-7.3 years) and with well-controlled CBP, the prevalence of MH was 26.5% (30 patients). In multivariate-adjusted analysis, the risk of MH increased with physical inactivity (odds ratio [OR], 2.942; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.039-8.329; p=0.042), use of beta-blocker (OR, 4.242; 95% CI, 1.528-11.785; p=0.06) and systolic clinic BP (OR, 1.083; 95% CI, 0.017-1.154; p=0.013). Furthermore, HBP correlated well with CBP (r=0.329; p<0.001) and further with degree of ME (r=0.723; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In looking for MH, it would be useful to carefully assess patients taking beta-blockers, having higher CBP, and who are physically inactive by using self-monitoring home or ambulatory BP monitoring.
Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Masked Hypertension ; Masks ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Many studies have aimed to determine whether body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), or waist to hip ratio (WHR) best predicts hypertension in diabetic patients, with conflicting results. However, no study has examined the specific relationship between these anthropometric parameters with sustained normotension (SNT), white coat hypertension (WCHT), masked hypertension (MHT), and sustained hypertension (SHT) based on office and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements in these patients. METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes underwent the following procedures: history taking, measurements of anthropometric parameters, office and ambulatory BP measurements, physical examination, laboratory analysis, and random and 24-hour urine analysis. RESULTS: In total, there were 65 dippers and 37 nondipper patients. None of the anthropometric parameters were different between the dippers and the nondippers. There were 25 patients with SNT, 32 with WCHT, seven with MHT, and 38 with SHT. A comparison of anthropometric parameters between these four groups of patients showed that WC (P=0.016) and WHR (P=0.015) were different among all groups. According to regression analysis, only BMI was independently related with MHT (odds ratio [OR], 1.373, P=0.022), whereas only WC has been associated with SHT (OR, 1.321, P=0.041). CONCLUSION: Among anthropometric parameters, only WC and WHR were different in SNT, WCHT, MHT, and SHT in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Masked Hypertension ; Masks ; Physical Examination ; Waist Circumference ; Waist-Hip Ratio ; White Coat Hypertension

This review represents the clinical significance of home blood pressure (BP) and its possible practical application. Home BP is highly reproducible and its reproducibility is better than ambulatory BP. According to this feature home BP has a greater prognostic value at least than clinic BP and is extremely effective for the evaluation of drug effects and their duration. The introduction of home BP to the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension facilitates long-term BP control. Home BP is particularly important for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, children and renal diseases. Home BP measurements improve the adherence to medications and medical consultations, and are indispensable for diagnosis of white coat hypertension and masked hypertension. Such efficiency of home BP improves medical economy. Home BP can detect minimal charge in BP mediated by medication, and intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli and detect long-term change in BP. Thus, home BP is now indispensable for improvement in the management of hypertension in medical practice as well as for the recognition of hypertension in the general population. Standardization of the measurement procedure may elevate the position of home BP in the practice of diagnosing and treating hypertension.
Blood Pressure ; Child ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fees and Charges ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Masked Hypertension ; Pharmacology, Clinical ; Pregnancy ; Referral and Consultation ; White Coat Hypertension

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Blood pressure variability (BPV) was recently shown to be a risk factor of stroke. White coat hypertension (WCH) used to be regarded as innocuous, but one long-term follow-up study reported that WCH increased stroke rate compared to normotension (NT). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between WCH and BPV. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We analyzed 1398 subjects from the Korean Ambulatory Blood Pressure Registry, who were divided into NT (n=364), masked hypertension (n=122), white coat hypertension (n=254), and sustained hypertension (n=658) groups. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar among groups. The average real variability (ARV), a highly sensitive BPV parameter, was highest in the WCH group, followed by the sustained hypertension, masked hypertension, and NT groups. The results persisted after being adjusted for covariates. The WCH vs. sustained hypertension results (adjusted mean±standard error) were as follows: 24-h systolic ARV, 22.9±0.8 vs. 19.4±0.6; 24-h diastolic ARV, 16.8±0.6 vs. 14.3±0.5; daytime systolic ARV, 21.8±0.8 vs. 16.8±0.6; and daytime diastolic ARV, 16.2±0.6 vs. 13.4±0.5 (p<0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION: From the registry data, we found that subjects with WCH or masked hypertension had higher BPV than NT. However, long-term follow-up data assessing the clinical influences of WCH on stroke are needed.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory* ; Blood Pressure* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hypertension ; Masked Hypertension ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; White Coat Hypertension*

Blood pressure (BP) control is considered the most important treatment for preventing chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and associated cardiovascular complications. However, clinic BP is insufficient to diagnose hypertension (HT) and to monitor overall BP control because it does not correlate well with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We enrolled 387 hypertensive CKD patients (stages G1–G4, 58.4% male with median age 61 years) from 3 hospitals in Korea. HT of clinic BP and ABPM was classified as ≥ 140/90 and ≥ 130/80 mmHg, respectively. Clinic BP control rate was 60.2%. The median 24-hour systolic blood pressures (SBPs) of CKD G3b and CKD G4 were significantly higher than those of CKD G1–2 and CKD G3a. However, the median 24-hour SBPs were not different between CKD G1–2 and CKD G3a or between CKD G3b and CKD G4. Of all patients, 5.7%, 38.0%. 42.3%, and 14.0% were extreme-dippers, dippers, non-dippers, and reverse-dippers, respectively. Non-/reverse-dippers independently correlated with higher Ca × P product, higher intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), and lower albumin. Normal BP was 33.3%, and sustained, masked, and white-coat HT were 29.7%, 26.9%, and 10.1%, respectively. White-coat HT independently correlated with age ≥ 61 years and masked HT independently correlated with CKD G3b/G4. In conclusion, ABPM revealed a high prevalence of non-/reverse-dippers and sustained/masked HT in Korean CKD patients. Clinicians should try to obtain a CKD patient's ABPM, especially among those who are older or who have advanced CKD as well as those with abnormal Ca × P product, iPTH, and albumin.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Blood Pressure* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Masked Hypertension ; Masks ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We estimated the prevalence of hypertension and hypertension subtypes in a large semi-urban city in Korea, using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in a randomly selected sample population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A random sample (aged 20-65 years) from a city with an adult population of approximately 600000 was selected by using a list-assisted random digit dialing method. The 24-hour ABPM and conventional blood pressure measurement (CBPM) of these individuals were obtained. RESULTS: Among the 496 participants, valid 24-hour ABPM and CBPM were obtained from 462 (93%) individuals. The estimated prevalence of hypertension in Goyang was 17.54% by CBPM and 32.70% by 24-hour ABPM (p<0.01). In the age stratified analysis, both CBPM and 24-hour ABPM showed increased prevalence of hypertension with age. The estimated prevalence of masked hypertension was 16.22% and that of white-coat hypertension was 1.08%. Men had a higher prevalence of masked hypertension than women (20.79% vs. 11.86%, p=0.0295). The estimated prevalence of masked hypertension was 17.5%, 20.58%, 24.34%, and 13.29% in the age categories of 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, respectively. The estimated prevalence of masked uncontrolled hypertension was 26.79% in patients with hypertension who were taking antihypertensive medications. CONCLUSION: The estimated prevalence of hypertension by 24-hour ABPM was higher than that by CBPM, revealing high prevalence of masked hypertension. The high prevalence of masked hypertension supports the adoption of ABPM in the national population survey and clinical practice to improve public health and reduce health care costs.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory* ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Masked Hypertension* ; Masks* ; Methods ; Prevalence* ; Public Health

BACKGROUND: 'Masked Hypertension' is a phenomenon of blood pressure that is normotensive by clinic measurement but proves to be hypertensive by 24 hour-AMBP and is associated with many cardiovascular complications and its clinical importance has become the center of public interest. However, in Korea no study concerning masked hypertension has ever been published so far. We investigated the frequency and the related factors of masked hypertension among Koreans. METHODS: Overall, 53 volunteers from Incheon and Seoul, Korea, who were 40 years old and abov were enrolled from August 2003 to August 2004. We checked their blood pressure and pulse rate every hour using an ambulatory blood pressure monitoring device [SpaceLabs 90207] for 24 hours. Masked hypertension was defined as office mean BP less than 140/90 mmHg and daytime mean BP over 135/85 mmHg. RESULTS: Among the total, 15 subjects met the criteria of masked hypertension (28.3%) Current smoking (P=0.021), higher clinic mean SBP (P=0.011) and DBP (P=0.027), and prehypertension (P=0.04) were identified as related factors. And when adjusted for sex by logistic regression, only current smoking was statistically significant (P=0.039) and prehypertension showed borderline significance (P=0.092) (CI=95%). Additionally, mean pulse pressures and mean standard deviation of individual mean SBP were higher in the masked hypertension group. CONCLUSION: The frequency of masked hypertension was 28.3% the and related factors were current smoking and higher office BP, especially prehypertension that was introduced in JNC-7. The fact that the pulse pressure and the variability of individual SBP were higher in the masked hypertension group remains thought-provoking.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incheon ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Masked Hypertension* ; Masks* ; Prehypertension ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Volunteers*