Hypertension and Women

Women’s risk of hypertension usually increases after the age of 60. Other contributing factors may be the use of oral contraceptives, or pregnancy.

Women of African descent  — even very young women — are much more susceptible to high blood pressure than Caucasian women. The disease is not only more common among them, but  it is often more serious as well.

Oral contraceptives

Birth control pills and high blood pressure have been shown to be linked for some women.

This risk increases if you are overweight, had high blood pressure during pregnancy, or have a predisposing condition such as a mild kidney disease, or a family history of high blood pressure.

The combination of birth control pills and cigarettes may be especially dangerous for some women.

Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure before prescribing the pill. Then have your blood pressure checked every six months or so.

High blood pressure during pregnancy

Physicians keep a close watch on blood pressure during pregnancy, because hypertension might develop rapidly during the last three months. Hypertensive disorders complicate about 12-22% of pregnancies. If untreated, the condition may sometimes endanger both mother and baby.

Hypertensive conditions during pregnancy are:

Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy

High blood pressure caused by a condition unrelated to pregnancy, which begins before the twentieth week of pregnancy, or is first discovered during prenatal care.

Chronic hypertension in pregnancy continues after the baby is delivered.

Women with chronic hypertension during pregnancy are at increased risk for developing preeclampsia.

If you already have high blood pressure, pregnancy could make it more severe. Careful treatment helps ensure a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Diuretics, often used to treat hypertension, are not recommended for pregnant women. They should not be used while nursing either, because they might dehydrate the baby. Pregnant women should also avoid ACE inhibitors, which can cause serious birth defects. This medication should be avoided by nursing mothers as well.

Gestational Hypertension (or Pregnancy Induced Hypertension)

High blood pressure that results from the effects of the increased levels of estrogen, detected after the twentieth week of pregnancy. Unlike preeclampsia, this condition is not accompanied by proteinurea (proteins in the urine). Blood pressure will return to normal within 12 weeks after delivery.

Preeclampsia (or Toxemia of Pregnancy)

A condition that causes tightening of arteries throughout the mother’s body and placenta, as well as unpredictable blood clotting. Preeclampsia causes high blood pressure, fluid retention which leads to swelling of the feet and legs (and sometimes of the hands and face), and protein in the urine.

Preeclampsia should be closely monitored, and frequently requires early delivery in order to keep both mother and baby safe.

Menopause

As a woman grows older, her risk of hypertension becomes greater than a man's. You may have had normal blood pressure most of your life, but after menopause the risk of hypertension increases considerably.