In women 45 years of age or older, sixty percent of
Caucasian women and seventy-nine percent of
African-American women have hypertension. It is estimated
that thirty percent of elderly women over 65 years are
diagnosed with isolated systolic hypertension. Therefore,
as you age your risk of developing high blood pressure
increases drastically. Although the risk factors are
similar between men and women, gender differences have not
been documented conclusively by research studies.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke remain the leading
causes of death in women in America. The risk of CVD
increases after the onset of menopause and continues to
rise with age. Since 1984, the total deaths due to CVD have
been greater in women as compared to men.
Women taking oral contraceptives or hormone treatment can
experience a small but detectable increase in both systolic
and diastolic blood pressure, usually in the normal range.
If this rise in blood pressure occurs, women should talk to
their doctors about a possible cause for the rise in blood
pressure and what they can do about it. Women age 35 and
older who smoke cigarettes and take oral contraceptives are
at an even greater risk for heart disease and stroke. If
they are unable to quit smoking, a woman should talk to
their doctor about using other forms of birth control.
Women who take hormone replacement therapy are urged to
have their blood pressure monitored more frequently after
such therapy is started.
Lifestyle modifications are a safe, effective treatment
option for hypertension, yet they are underutilized by many
healthcare providers, particularly in pre-and
perimenopausal women. When you consider the alternative to
making a change to your everyday life to aid in the
treatment of hypertension and all the health dangers that
can occur from this condition, the modifications aren't
such a bad idea.
Diets high in fiber and low in fat and animal protein tend
to have a lower incidence of hypertension. Therefore, it is
imperative that you eat a balanced diet to aid in the
prevention of hypertension. The Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension (DASH) diet investigators found that a
combined diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy
products with reduced saturated fat can reduce blood
pressure in hypertensive individuals. In addition,
African-American subjects experienced a greater reduction
in blood pressure than Caucasians but there were no
significant differences in the extent of lowered blood
pressure based on gender. Not only will this be of benefit
to your blood pressure readings, it will let you shed a few
pounds which is also encouraged by physicians in the
treatment of hypertension.
Some women develop high blood pressure for the first time
in the middle of their pregnancy. The mother develops
toxemia of pregnancy, a condition that can threaten the
lives of both the mother and unborn child. High blood
pressure can harm the mother's kidneys and other organs as
well as cause low birth weight and premature delivery.
Getting early and regular prenatal care is the most
important thing you can do for you and your baby.
The caffeine in coffee, even in large amounts, has not been
determined to have an adverse affect on the rise of high
blood pressure but does not increase the risk of developing
hypertension as much as cola drinks. When you drink
beverages that contain caffeine, your blood pressure goes
up in the immediate period afterwards although there are no
conclusive results from studies to evaluate the effect of
caffeine on blood pressure. If you aren't totally dependent
on that cup of coffee first thing in the morning, a wise
move to make would be to drink a flavored or sparkling
water beverage.
----------------------------------------------------
Check out further information from Michael Jennings on
preventing hypertension, the "silent killer", and how to
monitor your blood pressure and living with hypertension on
a daily basis. ==>
No comments:
Post a Comment