Menopause and high blood pressure

Menopause increases the risk of high blood pressure

It has long been accepted that post menopausal women tend to have higher blood pressure than menstruating women, but this has been attributed to factors such as general ageing and weight gain, rather that the menopause itself.  However, recent clinical studies have proved that, once other factors are eliminated, the menopause does indeed place women at a higher risk of developing excessively high blood pressure.

The impact of menopause on blood pressure

During the menopause women experience a dramatic decrease in levels of the hormone oestrogen. It is thought that this hormone plays a protective role in maintaining healthy blood pressure, and when it declines suddenly, high blood pressure can be the result.

Menstruating women usually have a marginally lower diastolic pressure and systolic pressure than men, but during the menopause women’s systolic pressure can go up by an average of about 5mm Hg, due to the decrease in oestrogen levels.

Increased weight gain and salt sensitivity are other symptoms of oestrogen deficiency, and these can also contribute to increased blood pressure.

Relationship between blood pressure and HRT

Clinical research is currently being conducted into whether women that use HRT are likely to experience a greater increase in blood pressure than women that do not. Recent studies have shown that women over fifty who use HRT are likely to experience a rise in systolic blood pressure that is 1 or 2mm Hg greater than women that do not use HRT, and are twenty five per cent more likely to suffer with high blood pressure.

Lifestyle changes to control post menopausal blood pressure

Preventing a general increase in blood pressure with the onset of menopause may not be possible, but you can reduce its impact with a few simple lifestyle changes such as taking regular exercise, choosing low sodium foods, quitting smoking, and limiting your alcohol intake

If you are at the stage where you need medical treatment to reduce your blood pressure, there are many alternatives open to you, and continuing progress in this field will only expand the possible treatments. A European hormone therapy is currently being developed that might be more successful at stabilising blood pressure in post menopausal women than established high blood pressure treatments.

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