RISK FACTORS FOR HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FEMALE SEX

Highlights Arterial hypertension often develops in women during the perimenopausal period, accompanied by a decrease in estrogen levels and metabolic disorders. It is important to take into account traditional risk factors such as obesity, family history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, and other characteristics of the female body associated with hormonal changes to effectively prevent hypertension in these women. Further study of new risk factors specific to the female population will help improve preventive measures and treatment of hypertension. Abstract Aim. To study the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in women aged 40-50 years, and to evaluate their influence on the development of arterial hypertension (AH). Methods. The study analyzed the medical records of 47 women aged 40 to 50 years who consulted a cardiologist. Patients' complaints were assessed using the Greene climacteric scale, whereas the history of AH and personal medical history, physical examination and laboratory data obtained before the examination were used for analysis. Results. Patients were divided in two groups according to the presence of confirmed АH: the group of patients with AH (n=12), mean age was 45.19 ± 2.86 years; and the group of patients with normal blood pressure (BP, n =35), mean age was 45.30 ± 3.09 years. Age differences between the groups were not significant. 58.3% of patients with AH and 22.8% of patients with normal BP (p = 0.045) suffered from headaches, 83.3% of women with AH and 11.4% of women without AH (p < 0.001) were obese. Family history of AH was more prevalent in the group with AH 75.0% compared with the group with normal BP 34.2% (p < 0.001). 58.3% of patients with AH and 22.6% of patients without AH (p < 0.001) presented with dyslipidemia. Factors such as preterm labour, smoking, excessive salt intake and glycaemic level were not statistically different between groups. Conclusion. The results of the study with a small sample of patients show that for perimenopausal women the most significant factors associated with arterial hypertension are a family history of hypertension, and the need to control body weight and lipidogram parameters. These aspects require attention during the development of preventive measures. Further research on new risk factors associated with female sex is needed to determine their applicability to the Russian population.