American Heart Association Themed Issue Journal Report: Journal Edition Dedicated to Women's Unique Hypertension Issues
DALLAS, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Women face unique
risks for developing hypertension and special challenges in keeping
their high blood pressure under control, according to new research
published in a special themed issue of Hypertension: Journal of the
American Heart Association.
The themed issue features more than 45 studies and editorials
related to women and hypertension. The publication commemorates the
fifth anniversary of the launch of the American Heart Association's
Go Red For Women movement, which raises awareness of heart disease
risks for women.
"Our goals were to help convey the importance of prevention and
treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in women, to
emphasize that hypertension is a critical cardiovascular risk
factor in women, and to publish the newest and best research
related to hypertension in women," said John E. Hall, Ph.D.,
Hypertension Editor-in-Chief, and Arthur C. Guyton Professor and
Chair and Associate Vice Chancellor of Research, University of
Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Miss.
Data from the American Heart Association Heart Disease and
Stroke Statistics -- 2008 Update shows that high blood pressure
kills significantly more women than men and is two to three times
more common in women who take oral contraceptives than in women who
don't.
In his preface to the journal, Hall cited previous studies that
show only about 60 percent of hypertensive women are treated, and
among those treated, only about a third had their blood pressure
controlled at optimum levels. "Thus, inadequate control of high
blood pressure continues to be the most important, and potentially
treatable, cause of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women," he
said.
"Through Go Red For Women the American Heart Association
provides education and resources to help women live heart-healthy
lives. More importantly, our movement puts a face on heart disease
-- the No. 1 killer of women," said Nieca Goldberg, M.D., Go Red
For Women spokesperson, author and medical director of the New York
University Women's Heart Program. "Our cause is based on science,
such as the studies and perspectives we have gathered in this issue
of Hypertension and the ongoing scientific research supported by
the American Heart Association. This research is the foundation for
the medical care doctors deliver in their offices. What we learn
from this important body of science could one day save the life of
someone's mother, wife, sister or daughter."
Here are highlights from the themed issue:
-- Dietary calcium, not supplements, may have a role in
preventing hypertension
In a study of 28,888 non-hypertensive American women, age 45 or
older, researchers found that the risk of hypertension:
* decreased with a higher intake of low-fat dietary calcium and
dietary vitamin D,
* did not change with calcium or vitamin D supplements, and * increased with high-fat dairy product intake.
Contact: Lu Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital,
Boston, Mass.; (617) 278-0802 or luwang@rics.bwh.harvard.edu.
Researchers tracked the intake of dairy products, calcium and
vitamin D based on a 131-item food frequency questionnaire and
conducted annual follow-up over a 10-year period. (Nine possible
responses ranging from "never or less than once per month" to "6+
per day" were recorded.) During that time, 8,710 cases of
hypertension were identified.
-- Hypertension poses numerous risks for pregnancy
In a brief review accompanying several pregnancy-related studies
in this issue, researchers note that hypertension is the most
common medical disorder of pregnancy, complicating one in 10
pregnancies. They emphasize the importance of diagnosis in
differentiating between pre-existing (chronic) hypertension from
pregnancy-induced (gestational) hypertension and preeclampsia. They
also support that pregnant women and those planning to become
pregnant should avoid ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor
blockers. Acceptable alternatives may include methyldopa, labetalol
and nifedipine, in standard doses to manage hypertension in
pregnancy.
Contact: Tiina Podymow, M.D., McGill University Health Center,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada; (514) 934-1934 or tiina.podymow@muhc.mcgill.ca.
In a prospective study of 822 women with chronic hypertension,
researchers in London identified 180 cases of preeclampsia (22
percent), with early onset preeclampsia accounting for nearly half
of those. Of those women with preeclampsia, nearly half (48
percent) delivered small birthweight babies, while 51 percent of
them delivered preterm, compared to 21 percent of women without
preeclampsia having smaller babies and 15 percent of those women
delivering preterm. According to the researchers, women with
chronic hypertension should take special precautions before getting
pregnant, including knowing their blood pressure, knowing of any
family history of blood pressure problems during pregnancies,
reducing their body mass index if it is elevated, quitting smoking
and identifying any presence of renal disease.
Contact: Lucy Chappell, Ph.D., King's College, London School of
Biomedical and Health Sciences, London, United Kingdom; +44 20 7188
3639 or lucy.chappell@kcl.ac.uk.
Researchers in the United Kingdom found that, while cigarette
smoking in preeclamptic pregnancies further increases already
present risks, stopping smoking can decrease the risks. A
multicenter, cohort study of 1001 white Western European women and
their babies found that, compared to those who never smoke, the
women who currently smoked in this study were more likely to
deliver before 34 weeks, more likely to deliver lower birthweight
babies or have babies with an adverse outcome (i. e., admission to
a specialty unit, death), and were more likely to develop
eclampsia. Women who had previously smoked and stopped prior to or
during their pregnancy also significantly decreased their
risks.
Of current smokers:
* 34.8 percent delivered before 34 weeks (compared to 26.8
percent of former smokers and 21.3 percent of
non-smokers),
* 46.1 percent had low birthweight babies (compared to 37.5
percent of former smokers and 27.9 percent of non-smokers)
and
* 65.6 percent had babies who experienced adverse outcomes
(compared to 60 percent of former smokers and 50.4 percent of
non-smokers).
Contact: Fiona Broughton-Pipkin, University of Nottingham, City
Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom; 0044 1158 231892 or
Fiona.broughton-pipkin@nottingham.ac.uk.
-- Gender plays a role in risk factors, treatment and control of
hypertension
Two separate studies in the United States found persistent
gender disparities in blood pressure control and cardiovascular
disease management.
From the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Study, researchers analyzed data on 3,475 people, age 18 or older,
diagnosed with hypertension. While blood pressure control in women
and men was comparable (55.9 percent uncontrolled in women and 50.8
percent in men), the prevalence of central obesity, elevated total
cholesterol level and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were
found to be significantly higher in women than in men. Those age
adjusted risk factors included:
* central obesity (79 percent women vs. 63.9 percent
men),
* elevated total cholesterol level (61.3 percent women vs. 48
percent men) and
* low high-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol (39.7
women vs. 35.6 men.)
Contact: Bernard MY Cheung, Ph.D., University of Birmingham,
Birmingham, United Kingdom; +44 121 4146874 or b.cheung@bham.ac.uk.
Using data from the 2005 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey
and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey,
researchers analyzed data from 12,064 patient visits (7,786 female,
4,275 male). They found that among patients with hypertension,
women were less likely than men to:
* meet blood pressure control targets (54 percent vs. 58.7 percent), * receive aspirin (20.7 percent vs. 35.5 percent), * receive beta blockers (31.9 percent vs. 44.5 percent) or
* receive statins (28.5 percent vs. 35.3 percent) for secondary
prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Less than half (20.7 percent of women, 46.6 percent of men) of
all patients received recommended therapy across all conditions
considered.
Contact: Salomeh Keyhani, M.D., M.P.H., Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, New York, New York; (212) 659-9563 or salomeh.keyhani@mountsinai.org.
"This issue of Hypertension features the latest research from
basic, clinical and population scientists," Hall said. "We hope it
is helpful to clinicians and researchers, and that it helps to
increase awareness of healthcare professionals and the public to
the greatest threat to the health of women -- hypertension and
cardiovascular disease."
To view this issue of Hypertension, go to http://hyper.ahajournals.org/. To learn more
about Go Red for Women, visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/.
Source: American Heart Association
CONTACT: For journal copies only: +1-214-706-1396; For other
information
call: Cathy Lewis +1-214-706-1324; Megan Lozito +1-214-706-1359; or
Julie Del
Barto for broadcast: +1-214-706-1330, Dr. Hall,
+1-601-815-1667,
hypertension@physiology.umsmed.edu;
Dr. Goldberg can be reached by contacting
Megan Lozito, +1-214-706-1359, megan.lozito@heart.org; all of
the American
Heart Assocation
Posted: February 2008
