High Blood Pressure - Women in United States

United States

High blood pressure (hypertension), defined as blood pressure consistently at or above 130/80 mm Hg, can damage arteries and lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke, brain problems and other major organ damage. High blood pressure in midlife is frequently associated with decreased cognitive function. There are often no signs or symptoms that someone has high blood pressure; research indicates that less than 35% of women ages 18-39 were aware of their hypertension status.

Women without hypertension may develop gestational hypertension during pregnancy. Both gestational and preexisting high blood pressure during pregnancy can lead to complications, including preeclampsia, eclampsia, stroke and preterm birth. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and requires additional management and monitoring, particularly for signs of preeclampsia.

Risk factors such as smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet (eating foods high in sodium and low in potassium) and excessive alcohol use can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure. In addition, some research indicates that birth control pills may increase blood pressure among some women. Age and family history are also risk factors.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of high blood pressure is higher among:

• Women ages 35-44 than those ages 18-34. 
• American Indian/Alaska Native and Black women compared with white, Hispanic, Asian and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women.
• Women with less than a college degree. College graduates have the lowest prevalence of high blood pressure. 
• Women with an annual household income less than $25,000 compared with those with incomes of $75,000 or more. 
• Women living in nonmetropolitan areas compared with women in metropolitan areas.
• Women who have difficulty with mobility, who have a prevalence more than three times that of women without a disability.

People can manage high blood pressure through lifestyle modification and health care support. Effective interventions include eating a healthy diet (like the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan), increasing physical activity, quitting or not starting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, getting enough sleep, taking blood pressure medication properly and screening every year or as recommended by a doctor. A home blood pressure monitor can help individuals track their blood pressure at home.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends pharmacy-based interventions to improve medication adherence for blood pressure control and cardiovascular disease prevention. There is strong evidence that pharmacist-delivered interventions in the community increase the number of patients who take their medications as prescribed. Examples of interventions include medication counseling, synchronizing prescription refills and using assessment tools to identify barriers to medication adherence and targeting strategies based on the results.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that women with preexisting hypertension make a plan for pregnancy with their care provider to ensure appropriate treatment before and during pregnancy. Women are advised to get regular prenatal care early to monitor blood pressure during pregnancy. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends low-dose aspirin for women at high risk of preeclampsia after 12 weeks of gestation. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has answers to more frequently asked questions about high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to heart disease and high blood pressure, including reducing the proportion of adults with high blood pressure and increasing control of high blood pressure in adults.

Fryar, Cheryl D., Brian Kit, Margaret D. Carroll, and Joseph Afful. Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control Among Adults Age 18 and Older: United States, August 2021–August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 511. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, October 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db511.pdf.

Nilsson, Peter M., Margus Viigimaa, Aleksander Giwercman, and Renata Cifkova. “Hypertension and Reproduction.” Current Hypertension Reports 22, no. 4 (March 13, 2020): 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-020-01036-2.

Yano, Yuichiro, Michael Griswold, Wanmei Wang, Philip Greenland, Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, Gerardo Heiss, Rebecca F. Gottesman, and Thomas H. Mosley. “Long-Term Blood Pressure Level and Variability From Midlife to Later Life and Subsequent Cognitive Change: The ARIC Neurocognitive Study.” Journal of the American Heart Association 7, no. 15 (August 7, 2018). https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.118.009578.