Threat From High BP In Women: It's Time To Take It Seriously

Hypertension, the clinical term for high blood pressure, is often underrecognized and undertreated in women, especially in India.

- DR C. VENKATA S. RAM

Hypertension, the clinical term for high blood pressure, is often underrecognized and undertreated in women, especially in India. This condition increases the stress on the heart, damages arteries, and heightens the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and eye damage.

Although hypertension is not a gender-specific disorder, it is a major threat to women's health due to its relationship with factors like hormonal changes, pregnancy, pregnancy prevention (birth control), and menopause.

Despite its seriousness, hypertension is frequently underestimated in women, which often leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment and causes adverse health effects. This is largely due to the misconception that hypertension and heart disease are identified as "men's problems". However, high blood pressure is an equal opportunity killer and does not spare women.

Heart disease is the leading cause of premature death among women today. Women account for almost 52% of deaths due to high blood pressure globally, and heart disease claims the lives of as many women as the next four to five causes of death in this population.

In India, about 11.3% of women aged 15-49 suffer from hypertension, with an alarming number of them remaining undiagnosed. This translates to roughly 282.5 million women who require medical attention for hypertension management.

Importantly, uneducated women have a higher prevalence of hypertension (14.4%) compared to their more educated counterparts (8.5%), highlighting the socio-cultural and educational factors that exacerbate this problem.

As the rates of hypertension continue to rise in India, studies predict that more women than men will be affected in the future, underscoring the urgent need to address this growing women's health crisis.