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Impact of gender on 24-h ambulatory blood pressure and target organ damage

V Kotsis1, S Stabouli, V Pitiriga

  • 1Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, National and Kapodestrial University, Athens, Greece. bkotsis@med.uoa.gr

Journal of Human Hypertension
|June 2, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Men exhibit higher 24-hour blood pressure and target organ damage, including left ventricular mass and carotid intima-media thickness, compared to women. These differences persist even after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Hypertension Research
  • Sex Differences in Health

Background:

  • Sex-based disparities in cardiovascular health are increasingly recognized.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for personalized risk assessment and management.
  • Previous studies have suggested potential sex differences in blood pressure and target organ damage, but comprehensive analysis is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate sex differences in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and target organ damage.
  • To compare left ventricular mass (LVMASS) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) between men and women.
  • To determine if male sex is an independent predictor of elevated BP and target organ damage.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 1,445 subjects.
  • 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring was performed on all participants.
  • Left ventricular echocardiography and carotid artery IMT measurements were conducted.
  • Analysis of covariance was used to adjust for confounding variables.

Main Results:

  • Men and women had similar age, body mass index (BMI), and clinic BP.
  • Mean 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP were significantly higher in men.
  • Men showed significantly higher LVMASS, common carotid artery IMT (MCCA), and internal carotid artery IMT (MICA) compared to women.
  • These differences remained significant after adjusting for BMI, age, smoking, BP, and lipid profiles.

Conclusions:

  • Male sex is associated with higher mean 24-hour BP and increased target organ damage (LVMASS, IMT).
  • These findings suggest that sex is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular complications.
  • Clinical management strategies may need to consider sex-specific differences in cardiovascular risk.

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