Doctors 'cause blood pressure to rise' (UK)

"The 'white-coat' effect - where blood pressure rises during a check by a doctor - is even worse in someone whose level is already high, researchers say. The effect is due to patients becoming stressed by being in a doctor's surgery or a hospital. Writing in the British Medical Journal, an Australian team say giving people a cuff to wear for 24 hours is a better way of checking blood pressure. A UK expert said it showed clearly that external factors affected readings" - BBC