From Awareness to Action

Women leading the fight against hypertension.

- Dr. Nikhila Pachani

Hypertension affects one in three adults globally, yet it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially in women. With new research highlighting gender-specific risks, the urgency to move from awareness to action has never been clearer. More than just patients, women are emerging as powerful advocates, healthcare leaders, and changemakers in the fight against this silent but deadly condition.

A Gendered Risk Profile

Recent findings from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasise that women experience different patterns of hypertension compared to men. Postmenopausal women, for example, are more likely to develop isolated systolic hypertension, which significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. The NIH’s 2023 Cardiovascular Risk Report highlights that more than 60% of women over 65 live with high blood pressure, often without clear symptoms.