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Bager JE, Manhem K, Andersson T, Hjerpe P, Bengtsson-Boström K, Ljungman C, Mourtzinis G. Hypertension: sex-related differences in drug treatment, prevalence and blood pressure control in primary care. J Hum Hypertens 2023; 37:662-670. [PMID: 36658330 PMCID: PMC10403353 DOI: 10.1038/s41371-023-00801-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Antihypertensive treatment is equally beneficial for reducing cardiovascular risk in both men and women. Despite this, the drug treatment, prevalence and control of hypertension differ between men and women. Men and women respond differently, particularly with respect to the risk of adverse events, to many antihypertensive drugs. Certain antihypertensive drugs may also be especially beneficial in the setting of certain comorbidities - of both cardiovascular and extracardiac nature - which also differ between men and women. Furthermore, hypertension in pregnancy can pose a considerable therapeutic challenge for women and their physicians in primary care. In addition, data from population-based studies and from real-world data are inconsistent regarding whether men or women attain hypertension-related goals to a higher degree. In population-based studies, women with hypertension have higher rates of treatment and controlled blood pressure than men, whereas real-world, primary-care data instead show better blood pressure control in men. Men and women are also treated with different antihypertensive drugs: women use more thiazide diuretics and men use more angiotensin-enzyme inhibitors and calcium-channel blockers. This narrative review explores these sex-related differences with guidance from current literature. It also features original data from a large, Swedish primary-care register, which showed that blood pressure control was better in women than men until they reached their late sixties, after which the situation was reversed. This age-related decrease in blood pressure control in women was not, however, accompanied by a proportional increase in use of antihypertensive drugs and female sex was a significant predictor of less intensive antihypertensive treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan-Emil Bager
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Karin Manhem
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tobias Andersson
- Primary Health Care, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Regionhälsan R&D Centre, Skaraborg Primary Care, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Per Hjerpe
- Primary Health Care, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Regionhälsan R&D Centre, Skaraborg Primary Care, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Kristina Bengtsson-Boström
- Primary Health Care, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Regionhälsan R&D Centre, Skaraborg Primary Care, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Charlotta Ljungman
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Georgios Mourtzinis
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medicine and Emergency Mölndal, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Merlo J, Bengtsson-Boström K, Lindblad U, Råstam L, Melander O. Multilevel analysis of systolic blood pressure and ACE gene I/D polymorphism in 438 Swedish families--a public health perspective. BMC Med Genet 2006; 7:14. [PMID: 16509973 PMCID: PMC1484472 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-7-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2005] [Accepted: 03/01/2006] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Individuals belonging to the same family share a number of genetic as well as environmental circumstances that may condition a common SBP level. Among the genetic factors, the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene I/D polymorphism appears as a possible candidate as it might influence both SBP and the pharmacological effect of ACE inhibitors. We aimed to combine genetic epidemiology with public health ideas concerning life-course and multilevel epidemiology in order to understand the role of familial factors regarding individual SBP. Methods We applied multilevel regression analysis on 1926 individuals nested within 438 families from South Sweden. Modelling familial SBP variance as a function of age and use of ACE inhibitors we calculates a variance partition coefficient and the proportional change in familial SBP variance attributable to differences in ACE gene I/D polymorphism Results Our results suggest the existence of genetic or environmental circumstances that produce a considerable familial clustering of SBP, especially among individuals using ACE-inhibitors. However, ACE gene I/D polymorphism seems to play a minor role in this context. In addition, familial factors – genetic, environmental or their interaction – shape SBP among non-users of ACE inhibitors but their effect is expressed later in the life-course. Conclusion Strategies directed to prevent hypertension should be launched in younger rather than in older ages and both prevention of hypertension and its treatment with ACE inhibitors should be focused on families rather than on individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Merlo
- Department of Health and Health Care Management (Epidemiology), Region Skåne, Lund, Sweden
- Community Medicine and Public Health research group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kristina Bengtsson-Boström
- Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Ulf Lindblad
- Community Medicine and Public Health research group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Lennart Råstam
- Community Medicine and Public Health research group, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Olle Melander
- Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
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Hedner J, Bengtsson-Boström K, Peker Y, Grote L, Råstam L, Lindblad U. Hypertension prevalence in obstructive sleep apnoea and sex: a population-based case-control study. Eur Respir J 2006; 27:564-70. [PMID: 16507857 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.06.00042105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a recognised risk factor for hypertension (HT). The current authors investigated confounders of this association in a sex-balanced community-based sample of patients with HT (n=161) from the Skaraborg Hypertension and Diabetes Project (n=1,149) and normotensive controls (n=183) from an age and sex stratified community-based population sample (n=1,109). All participants underwent ambulatory home polysomnography. Severe OSA (apnoea-plus-hypopnoea index (AHI)>or=30 events.h-1) was found in 47 and 25% of hypertensive and normotensive males, respectively. The corresponding numbers in females were 26 and 24%, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) for HT increased across AHI tertiles from 1.0 to 2.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.9-4.5) and 1.0 to 3.7 (95% CI: 1.7-8.2) in males, but not in females where the OR increased from 1.0 to 1.8 (95% CI: 0.8-3.9) and 1.0 to 1.6 (95% CI: 0.7-3.5). Regression analysis correcting for age, body mass index (or waist-hip ratio) and smoking did not eliminate the association between OSA and HT in males. The present data suggest that obstructive sleep apnoea is highly prevalent in both the general population and in patients with known hypertension. The contribution of obstructive sleep apnoea to hypertension risk may be sex dependent and higher in males than in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hedner
- Sleep Laboratory, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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