†These authors contributed equally.
Academic Editor: Rubattu Speranza
Background: The white coat effect is observed in many patients with
hypertension, but its mechanism is still unclear and anxiety is often thought to
be a key point. Methods: A total of 544 patients who met the inclusion
criteria were recruited through outpatient clinics. Three months after systematic
treatment, the office blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
(ABPM) were examined. Patients who reached the ABPM standard were divided into
white coat effect (n = 112) and control (n = 432) groups according to the results
of the office blood pressure. The degree of anxiety in the two groups was
evaluated using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Beck Anxiety Scale
(BAI). Differences in anxiety, gender, age, number of antihypertensive drugs,
cost per tablet and marital status were analyzed.
Results: There was no significant difference in the degree of anxiety
between the white coat and control groups, with mean SAS standard scores of 32.8