Middle age women reduced cardiovascular disease by lowering high blood pressure
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(Best Syndication News) - Previous research has found that having high blood pressure is associated with increased risk of heart disease. However a recent study with middle-aged women showed that by lowering high blood pressure they also reduced their risk for developing cardiovascular disease more so than the men in the study. The research findings were reported in the Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Cardiovascular disease includes stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. This large study involved researchers from 11 countries throughout Europe, Asia, and South America who took part of the International Database on Ambulatory blood pressure in relation to Cardiovascular Outcomes (IDACO). This large data collection included 9,357 adults averaging 53 year old with 47 percent being women from countries around the world. The participants were studied over 11 years or longer for cardiovascular disease and measurements of systolic blood pressure.
Jan A. Staessen, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Studies Coordinating Center in the Division of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation at the University of Leuven in Belgium said this study showed that a “15 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 56 percent in women compared to 32 percent in men.” There was more benefit at reducing cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure for women than it was for with the men. However, men and women both can benefit by lowering high blood pressure numbers.
The researchers said that blood pressure measurements conducted at the doctor office might not be enough to correctly diagnose hypertension. They suggest ambulatory measurements of blood pressure and when sleeping to better assess for potential high blood pressure.
BY: N Wilson
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