High Blood Pressure and Women

“While you may have had normal blood pressure most of your life, your chances of developing high blood pressure increase considerably after menopause”.¹

Umbrella
What may the High Blood Pressure and Women Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

Essential Hypertension
High Blood Pressure (HBP)
Hypertension
Idiopathic Hypertension
Primary Hypertension
Women

Blood Pressure

What is blood pressure (BP)?

DotS the definition of BP may vary. In High Blood Pressure: High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes – What Is Blood Pressure? the (United States) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition is:

“Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body.

Your blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day”.²

High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension?

DotS the definition of HBP may vary. The American Heart Association’s definition is:

“High blood pressure (also referred to as HBP, or hypertension) is when your blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels, is consistently too high”.³

Risk

Who is at risk of HBP?

In High Blood Pressure: Causes and Risk Factors – Sex the (United States) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute note:

“Men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure throughout middle age. But in older adults, women are more likely than men to develop high blood pressure”.⁴

Women

In women, how common is HBP?

In High Blood Pressure and Women the (United States) Go Red for Women explain:

“A common misconception is that high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) rarely affects women. However, nearly half of all adults with high blood pressure are women. In fact, women that are just 20 pounds or more overweight, have a family history of HBP or have reached menopause are known to increase a woman’s risk”.⁵

Menopause

Is there an association between menopause and HBP?

In High Blood Pressure and Women: High Blood Pressure and Menopause Go Red for Women also note:

“While you may have had normal blood pressure most of your life, your chances of developing high blood pressure increase considerably after menopause.

Heart disease risk rises for everyone as they age, but for women symptoms can become more evident after the onset of menopause”.⁶

In Menopause and High Blood Pressure: What’s the Connection? Is There A Connection Between Menopause and High Blood Pressure? the (United States) Mayo Clinic note:

“Blood pressure generally increases after menopause. Some health care providers think this increase suggests that shifting hormones related to menopause play a role. Other providers think an increase in body mass index (BMI) in menopausal women may be the more likely culprit.

Changes in hormones during menopause can lead to weight gain and make blood pressure more sensitive to salt in the diet — which, in turn, can lead to higher blood pressure. Some types of hormone therapy (HT) for menopause also may lead to higher blood pressure”.⁷

Control and Prevent

What can help control and prevent HBP?

In Menopause and High Blood Pressure: What’s the Connection? Is There A Connection Between Menopause and High Blood Pressure? the Mayo Clinic encourage women:

“To control your blood pressure both before and after menopause, focus on a healthy lifestyle:

Maintain a healthy weight
Eat heart-healthy foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables
Reduce the amount of processed foods and salt
Exercise most days of the week
Manage stress
Limit or avoid alcohol
If you smoke, stop

If necessary, a health care provider may prescribe medications to help lower blood pressure”.⁸

DASH Diet

What is the DASH Diet?

In DASH Diet: Healthy Eating To Lower Your Blood Pressure the Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is a healthy-eating plan designed to help treat or prevent high blood pressure (hypertension).

The DASH diet includes foods that are rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium. These nutrients help control blood pressure. The diet limits foods that are high in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars”.⁹

The Mayo Clinic also note:

“Studies have shown that the DASH diet can lower blood pressure in as little as two weeks. The diet can also lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol levels in the blood. High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol levels are two major risk factors for heart disease and stroke”.¹⁰

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have HBP?

If you think you have HBP, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. In High Blood Pressure – Symptoms of High Blood Pressure: Symptoms of High Blood Pressure the British Heart Foundation explain:

“Many people with high blood pressure feel fine. But even if you feel fine, you should still have your blood pressure checked regularly. If you’re a healthy adult over 40, it’s recommended that you get it checked at least once every five years. But if you’re at increased risk of high blood pressure, you should have it checked more often, ideally once a year”.¹¹

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