Dangers of Elevated BP Riskier for Women

Whereas there has been a significant decline in cardiovascular disease mortality in men during the last 20 to 30 years, the same has not held true for women:  heart disease has become the leading cause of death in women in the United States, accounting for approximately a third of all deaths. Wake Forest University School of Medicine, (North Carolina, USA) researchers explored this gender-related difference, evaluating 100 men and women, ages 53 years and older, with untreated high blood pressure and no other major diseases. Specifically, the team conducted tests to ascertain whether the heart or the blood vessels were primarily involved in elevating the blood pressure, to gather important information about the state of an individual’s circulation. The tests measured hemodynamic – the forces involved in the circulation of blood – and hormonal characteristics of the mechanisms involved in the development of high blood pressure in men and women.   The researchers found 30 to 40% more vascular disease in the women compared to the men for the same level of elevated blood pressure. In addition, there were significant physiologic differences in the women’s cardiovascular system, including types and levels of hormones involved in blood pressure regulation, that contribute to the severity and frequency of heart disease.  Observing that: “The impact of sex differences in the hemodynamic factors accounting for the elevation in arterial pressure in subjects with essential hypertension has been poorly characterized or this information is not available,” the study authors submit that: “our study shows for the first time significant differences in the hemodynamic and hormonal mechanisms accounting for the increased blood pressure in women compared to men.”