Masked hypertension carries cardiovascular risk that is most similar to which of the following?

• A. Similar risk to sustained hypertension.
• B. Lower risk.
• C. No risk.
• D. Higher risk.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that cardiovascular risk rises with the total exposure to high blood pressure, not just what’s seen in the clinic. In masked hypertension, readings are normal in the office but elevated outside it, during daily activities. That hidden BP burden drives organ damage and cardiovascular events just as consistently high blood pressure does, so the overall risk is essentially the same as that of sustained hypertension. It’s not lower or zero, and while some data may suggest variability, the best match is that masked hypertension carries similar risk to sustained hypertension.