What factor may cause a patient to perceive themselves as having normal blood pressure when it is elevated?

The correct answer is white coat syndrome, which is a phenomenon where patients exhibit elevated blood pressure readings in clinical settings, often due to anxiety or stress associated with being examined by healthcare professionals. This response can lead individuals to believe their blood pressure is normal when it is actually elevated outside of these situations. Because patients with white coat syndrome may not experience any symptoms when their blood pressure is raised during a medical visit, they might perceive their typical blood pressure to be normal, especially if they feel calm and healthy in their everyday environment.

In contrast, factors such as low physical activity generally lead to increased risk for hypertension, side effects of medication can cause various changes in blood pressure but are not typically linked to causing a belief in normal readings, and healthy lifestyle habits typically contribute to lower or normal blood pressure, rather than fostering a misconception about elevated levels. Thus, white coat syndrome is uniquely tied to the context of perception and measurement within clinical settings.