About 70 million adults in the United States,
approximately one in three Americans, have hypertension. Only slightly
more than half of Americans with high blood pressure have good control.
Hypertension is a chronic disease that often results in damage to the
heart, brain, blood vessels, and other organs, including the kidneys.
Why are there two numbers in your blood pressure measurement?
The top number represents your systolic blood pressure, which is a measurement of the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.
When your heart is resting between beats, your blood pressure is lower. This is represented by the bottom number, the diastolic blood pressure.
Are you at risk?
Many
women consider themselves immune from hypertension. It's true that the
risk of hypertension is lower in women compared to men, but that's only
before menopause.
After menopause, women lose the protective effect of estrogen as levels decline. In fact,women have a greater risk of hypertension than men beginning at the age of 65. Women can also develop hypertension before menopause, even though they are at reduced risk.
It's
important to monitor blood pressure throughout adulthood, since high
blood pressure is usually unaccompanied by signs and symptoms until the
damage to organs like the heart or kidneys has already occurred.
Hypertension is a silent killer, so it's critical to remain alert.
Women have gender-specific risk factors
Oral contraceptives can
increase blood pressure in some women. You should be certain your
doctor measures your blood pressure regularly and records it in your
medical record.
Smoking increases the risk even more. If you are
considering taking an oral contraceptive pill and you smoke, be sure to
discuss the increased risk with your doctor. The combination of smoking
and oral contraceptives is dangerous in many women.
Women have a higher percentage of body fat compared to men.
Women have a higher percentage of body fat,
which is a risk factor for hypertension. Fat that accumulates deep in
the abdomen, known as visceral fat, is linked to hypertension, high
cholesterol, heart disease, and insulin resistance. In fact,
identification of metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by central
obesity, elevated triglycerides, and high blood pressure, has led
researchers to explore this link carefully. Diets like the DASH diet
have been demonstrated to decrease blood pressure. In addition to
cutting calories, the DASH diet reduces salt consumption, another factor
in blood pressure control
What can you expect if you have hypertension and become pregnant?
If
you have hypertension and you're taking medication, discuss your
condition with your doctor before becoming pregnant. Your pregnancy can
cause increased blood pressure and can be dangerous for both you and
your baby. There are also certain medications that can be dangerous to
mother and baby during pregnancy, including angiotensin receptor
blockers (ARBs) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
(ACEIs). It's important to stop these medications before you become
pregnant, but don't stop any prescribed medication without consulting
your physician.If you carefully follow the recommendations of your
doctor to manage your blood pressure, you can remain healthy during your
pregnancy and you can deliver a healthy infant.
Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) in women without a history of high blood pressure
It's
not unusual for women without any history of high blood pressure to
develop hypertension during pregnancy. This is one reason that prenatal
care is so important for all expectant mothers. PIH, which is also known
as gestational hypertension, usually resolves after delivery. It occurs
in up to 8% of women who are pregnant, and most of the women who
develop PIH are in their first pregnancy. PIH can develop into
preeclampsia, a condition that can result in harm to the placenta and
fetus, in addition to potentially causing damage to the mother's
organs,including the kidney, liver, and brain. Preeclampsia usually
develops after the 20th gestational week. Some risk factors are high
blood pressure before pregnancy; obesity; age under 20 years or over 40
years; multiple gestation (twins, etc.); and a history of preeclampsia
in a prior pregnancy. Women with preeclampsia may develop symptoms like
swelling and sudden weight gain, changes in vision, and headache. Their
urine may contain protein. If eclampsia develops, the baby must
delivered to prevent life-threatening complications.
