By David Marks
The march toward greater equality for women has been long and challenging. Finally, after more than a century, women have achieved many hard-fought gains across the board — in politics, education and in the workplace, where women now account for more than half of the college-educated labor force in the United States.
But there’s one area in which women and men are already surprisingly — and unfortunately — equal. It’s the risk for health complications related to blood pressure, also known as hypertension. High blood pressure places additional stress on artery walls and can damage the lining of these walls, causing them to form a blockage or blood clot.
High blood pressure affects nearly 120 million people in the United States. And the stakes might be even higher for women. Blood pressure in women begins to climb at a younger age and at a faster rate than with men — meaning a 30-year-old woman with hypertension is probably more likely to develop cardiovascular problems than her male counterpart.
“Compared with men, women have poorer outcomes with uncontrolled hypertension, are more likely to die within one year of having a heart attack, more likely to have another heart attack and are more likely to be disabled from heart failure within six years of the initial heart attack,” said Michelle Dew, MD, Medical Director, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Women’s Heart Care Program.
Currently, there are about 11 million Americans with high blood pressure who don’t know they have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So it’s become increasingly critical for women to pay close attention to their blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends checking blood pressure annually starting in young adulthood, and more often if you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension. Generally, you have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure if you are overweight or obese, have diabetes, a family history of high blood pressure or have reached menopause.
There are important steps you can take to reduce your risks and manage your blood pressure. For example, consider a Mediterranean- style diet that includes eating more fruits and vegetables, less frequent animal proteins, daily servings of nuts and legumes, and avoiding processed foods.
Getting regular physical activity is also crucial.
“I have seen some extraordinary changes come about with patients when exercise is committed to as part of a daily regimen,” said Dr. Dew.
Just 30 minutes of morning exercise — like walking on a treadmill — lowers blood pressure for the rest of the day, among older women and men who are overweight or obese. And women who take brief, frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day can enhance the blood pressure benefits of morning exercise even more.
Still, there are some causes of hypertension that we cannot affect by changing our habits: age, post-menopausal status, chronic kidney disease — to name just a few. Today, there are many excellent blood pressure medications available when lifestyle modifications aren’t sufficient.
“One of my personal goals is to find a medication for better blood pressure control that a patient is able to tolerate, feeling absolutely no different from her baseline,” said Dr. Dew.
Let the women’s heart care experts at AdventHealth partner with you on your journey to better cardiac health. Learn more at WomensHeartCareKC.com or call 913-632-9400 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
