Hypertension a Health Challenge for Women

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
Tuesday, February 19, 2008; 10:00 AM

Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Women face unique challenges in keeping their blood pressure under control, and this may help explain why more women than men struggle with uncontrolled blood pressure.

That's just one of a series of conclusions based on studies published in a special issue of the journal Hypertension. The issue commemorates the fifth anniversary of the American Heart Association's "Go Red For Women" campaign, which is designed to focus awareness of heart-disease risks for women.

Heart disease is the leading killer of women and men in the United States, and high blood pressure is a major contributor to such problems as heart attack and stroke.

The journal issue contains more than 45 studies and editorials that deal with the problem of high blood pressure among women. Issues examined include high blood pressure during pregnancy, and the disparity between women and men in controlling blood pressure.

"With only 60 percent of women with high blood pressure having their blood pressure controlled, we have a big problem that can lead to stroke and heart attack," said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director of New York University Medical Center's Women's Heart Program, and a spokeswoman for the "Go Red For Women" campaign.

There are several reasons for this problem, Goldberg said. "I think one is that women's needs aren't being met in the doctor's office," she said. "Doctors have to pay more attention to women's blood pressure."

Also, women need to be informed about what their optimal blood pressure should be, Goldberg said. "Their optimal pressure should be less than 120/80 mmHg. By reducing blood pressure from 140/90 mmHg to 120/80 mmHg, you cut stroke risk in half and heart attack risk by 25 percent," she said.

Women also need to take steps to have their blood pressure diagnosed, Goldberg said.

"Women shouldn't just let the doctor take their blood pressure, they should ask for their number. People are very goal oriented, and when a patient knows what the goal is, they can focus on achieving that goal," said Goldberg, who's the author of The Women's Healthy Heart Program: Lifesaving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease.