This archive report was first published on 9 July 2021.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition where the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure, increasing the heart's pumping function and leading to vessel hardening. According to cardiologist Bernard Gitura, there are two types of hypertension: primary, which has no identifiable cause and tends to affect most adults, and secondary, caused by an underlying condition and appearing suddenly.
Did you know that approximately one in every two Kenyan adults has prehypertension, a warning sign that they may develop high blood pressure in the future? This is according to a recent study by scientists from the University of Nairobi.
While hypertension can affect women in almost all phases of their life cycle, women go through dynamic changes across their life cycles, including puberty, motherhood, menopause, and aging, which on their own affect blood pressure.
Teenage and young adult women
Published research indicates that adult hypertension has its origins in childhood and teenage years, raising concerns that elevated blood pressure in young women can contribute to early progression of heart diseases such as premature atherosclerosis.
Obesity alone contributes to primary hypertension in adolescents, as explained by Dr. Gitura: 'The more you weigh, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through the blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.'
Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)
It is estimated that 9.1 per cent of maternal deaths in Africa are due to hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, with PIH being the second-most cause of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization.
Worldwide, PIH is the third-leading cause of maternal death after hemorrhage and sepsis. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is specific to pregnant women when there is hypertension at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
After childbirth/lactation phase
Scientific research has widely documented the benefits of long-term breastfeeding, with women who breastfeed for a longer period having a significantly lower risk of having high blood pressure compared to women who never breastfeed after childbirth.
Lack of or premature discontinuation of breastfeeding places a woman at an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. The oxytocin hormone released during breastfeeding may also reduce stress levels and subsequently, chances of development of hypertension.
Reproductive years with use of hormonal contraceptives
Combined hormonal contraceptives, containing both estrogen and progesterone, have been associated with a small yet significant effect on blood pressure, making them not suitable for women with pre-existing or at an elevated risk of hypertension.
Menopause
Most of us think of hot flushes and mood changes when we picture menopause, but it is unlikely that hypertension and heart disease come to mind. Well, they should. Generally, blood pressure increases after menopause, with some scientists blaming the shift in hormone levels.
Monitoring of blood pressure during menopause could avert serious effects of unchecked blood pressure.
Hypertension in elderly women
Epidemiological studies suggest that the prevalence of hypertension in women exceeds that in men beginning about the age of 60. Dr. Gitura explains: 'The risk of hypertension increases as you age. Until about age 64, it is more common in men. Women are more likely to develop increased blood pressure after age 65.'
Elderly women have more severe hypertension and lower blood pressure control compared to middle-aged and younger women. Aging is clearly a significant factor in the development of hypertension.
