Women over 65 more prone to hypertension than men

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men and women both have the tendency to develop hypertension—the medical term for high blood pressure—during their lifetimes. However, women over 65 years old are more prone to acquiring it, particularly those who passed through their menopausal stage.

In the United States, one in every three adults has high blood pressure. While women are as likely to have this condition as men, they are more prone to acquiring it during their twilight years.

High blood pressure or hypertension is a common condition which triggers the heart to pump blood excessively. Having the heart pump more blood and narrower arteries, it is likely to result tohigherchances of having high blood pressure.

Today, hypertension has become one of the major contributors to the global disease burden, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, since it causes health problems such as cardiovascular disease.

Amado Nazal, medical director of PharexHealthCorp., said that women who passed through their menopausal stage are at an increased risk of having hypertension because of hormonal changes and increase in body mass index that comes with age.

“As a woman ages, her chances of acquiring hypertension becomes greater than a man’s,” Nazal said. “Hormonal changes relative to menopause can lead to weight gain, making blood pressure more reactive to salt. Eventually, this leads to hypertension.”

Effective control of hypertension should be a priority among healthcare providers. This is why PharexHealthCorp, the most prescribed generic brand of medicines, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing optimum health among women who belong to this age bracket to keep hypertension at bay before it leads to heart failure.

“The most important consideration every woman ages 65 and older needs to make is to recognize the importance of having a healthy lifestyle as the key to preventing hypertension and other health conditions as well,” Nazal said.

He added, “It’s easy to start improving one’s lifestyle; the challenge comes in making it a habit. This specifically applies to people who already have the disease—for people diagnosed with hypertension, the best practice is to always consult the doctor and comply with the medication schedule even when symptoms are not surfacing.”

Nazal said that constant visits to the family doctor, maintaining a healthy diet, and taking prescribed medication already go a long way in saving one’s self from more chronic diseases.

“Taking your medication exactly as it is prescribed by your doctor is an important part of your recovery,” Nazal noted. “Without complying with your therapy, your health will eventually deteriorate, leading to a lower quality of life—or even death.”

He concluded, “Women who are already in their post-menopausal stage need to start taking care of themselves especially when their metabolism slows down. Embarking on a lifestyle journey is not a one-time travel—it is a life’s worth of adventure you can give to yourself. And someday, you’ll thank yourself you did.”