Last year, the American Heart Association updated their hypertension guidelines for women. They established four groups of hypertensive patients based on their BP readings and a calculated factor that correlates with the patient’s risk for heart disease. The four categories are: Normal (BP less than 120/80)
Elevated (BP 120 to 129 over 80 or less)
Stage 1 (BP 130 to 139 over 80 to 89 diastolic)
Stage 2 (BP 140 or higher over 90 or higher)
The AHA, however, overlooked an important factor they failed to consider in the process of developing the guidelines. That factor is the difference in the risk thresholds between men and women. “Women develop cardiovascular disease at a lower BP than men.” That’s a critical difference, especially, for younger women who “show increased risk for [heart attack], heart failure, and stroke” at a BP between 110 to 120 mmHg. So women need to be treated at lower BP levels because even at what’s considered a normal BP level, the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased.
These “new guidelines” misrepresent the situation and give patients a false sense of security at a time when surveillance needs to be more intense. The reason for the difference in risk status is not known, but should be incorporated into the guidelines. For unknown reasons, however, they are not. “If we truly want to improve women’s health, we must ensure this research (studying more women in clinical trials) is translated into where it can be integrated into daily practice protocols.
Reference: Stachenfeld N. What Medicine Gets Wrong About Women’s Blood Pressure. Mr
