A new study suggests that high blood pressure may be more dangerous for women than it is for men.
The Times of India reported that researchers from the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center did a study with 100 men and women, ages 53 and older who all suffered from untreated high blood pressure, but no other disease.
The findings were that 30 to 40 percent more women had vascular disease compared to the men with the same blood pressure. They also found differences in women’s cardiovascular systems.
Levels of hormones and types of hormones that are involved in blood pressure regulation, added to both the severity and the frequency of heart disease in women.
According to Health Central, researchers were able to conclude that treatment for high blood pressure should be specially tailored for women.
The research was prompted due to a decrease in heart disease among men in recent years, while heart disease has become the leading cause in death among women.
"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," said Carlos Ferrario, lead author of the study.
Researchers hope to evaluate new protocols, what drugs and combinations need to be used to treat women with high blood pressure.