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Gender difference in blood pressure control and cardiovascular risk factors in Americans with diagnosed hypertension

Kwok Leung Ong1, Annette W K Tso, Karen S L Lam

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|February 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Blood pressure control is similar in men and women with hypertension. However, women have more other cardiovascular risk factors, highlighting the need for comprehensive management.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in women.
  • Understanding gender-specific trends in hypertension management and associated risk factors is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze gender-specific trends in blood pressure control among US adults with diagnosed hypertension.
  • To assess the prevalence of five other cardiovascular risk factors in relation to gender and hypertension status.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from 3475 US adults (aged >=18) with diagnosed hypertension from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2004).
  • Evaluation of age-adjusted prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure and five other risk factors: central obesity, elevated total cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hyperglycemia, and smoking.
  • Comparison of gender-specific trends and prevalence rates over the study period.

Main Results:

  • Uncontrolled blood pressure prevalence was similar between men (50.8%) and women (55.9%) and did not change significantly over time.
  • Women exhibited significantly higher prevalence of central obesity (79.0%), elevated total cholesterol (61.3%), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (39.7%) compared to men.
  • The proportion of individuals with >=3 risk factors was higher in women (52.5%) than men (40.9%), decreasing significantly in women from 1999-2000 to 2003-2004.

Conclusions:

  • Blood pressure control in women with hypertension is comparable to men and showed no significant time-related changes from 1999-2004.
  • Women with hypertension present a higher burden of concomitant cardiovascular risk factors, necessitating targeted interventions.
  • Improving blood pressure control and addressing co-existing risk factors in women with hypertension are critical for CVD prevention.

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