We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




High Blood Pressure May Be More Dangerous for Women

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 13 Jan 2014
Print article
A new study has identified significant differences in the mechanisms that cause high blood pressure in women, as compared to men.

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, NC, USA) conducted a study involving 100 men and women age 53 and older (39% women) with untreated high blood pressure and no other major diseases. The researchers then utilized noninvasive impedance cardiography, applanation tonometry, and plasma measures of angiotensin II, angiotensin (1–7), serum aldosterone, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and cytokine biomarkers of inflammation to characterize the hemodynamic and hormonal profile of the patients.

The results showed that despite there being no differences between women and men in terms of office blood pressure, heart rate, and body mass index (BMI), men demonstrated lower values of pulse pressure, systemic vascular resistance, brachial artery pulse wave velocity and augmentation index. In all, women had 30%–40% more vascular disease than men for the same level of elevated blood pressure. In addition, there were significant physiologic and hormonal differences in the women's cardiovascular system that contributed to the severity and frequency of heart disease.

In each of the hypertension categories, the increased blood pressure in men was associated with significant augmentations in stroke volume and cardiac output compared with women. Sex-related hemodynamic differences were associated in women with higher plasma levels of leptin, hs-CRP, plasma angiotensin II and serum aldosterone, and no differences in the serum concentrations of cytokinins. The study was published in the December 2013 issue of Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease.

“The medical community thought that high blood pressure was the same for both sexes and treatment was based on that premise,” said lead author professor Carlos Ferrario, MD. “This is the first study to consider sex as an element in the selection of antihypertensive agents or base the choice of a specific drug on the various factors accounting for the elevation in blood pressure.”

“Our study findings suggest a need to better understand the female sex-specific underpinnings of the hypertensive processes to tailor optimal treatments for this vulnerable population,” added Dr. Ferrario. “We need to evaluate new protocols–what drugs, in what combination, and in what dosage—to treat women with high blood pressure.”

Related Links:

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center


Gold Member
Real-Time Diagnostics Onscreen Viewer
GEMweb Live
Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilizer
HMA-30

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The living replacement knee will be tested in clinical trials within five years (Photo courtesy of ARPA-H)

Living Knee Replacement to Revolutionize Osteoarthritis Treatment

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis, characterized by the progressive deterioration of cartilage, or the protective tissue covering the bone ends, resulting in pain, stiffness, and impaired... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.