Abstract

NAVARRO DESPAIGNE, Daysi Antonia. Menopause and hypertension: from biology to clinical practice. Rev cubana med [online]. 2015, vol.54, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-302X.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women over 50 years, which coincides with natural menopause and that gives connotation as a health problem and socioeconomic importance to this physiological phenomenon. Blood pressure levels, after menopause, tend to increase in women compared to men of the same age. The prevalence of hypertension is similar for men and postmenopausal women. These epidemiological elements linked to basic studies conferred to estrogen an important role in controlling blood pressure in women. For over 40 years, deaths from cardiovascular disease gradually decline in men, not in women. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring showed a common pattern in women with no dipper future cardiac complications and less tendency to control blood pressure, however, no difference in usual therapeutic measures for monitoring hypertension are among men and women. Taking into account the important role of middle-aged women in Cuban society, we proposed: 1. identify the peculiarities of hypertension in Cuban women in general and particularly in middle aged women; 2. update the physiological bases related to the influence of sex steroids and other biological and social factors on vascular physiology, and 3. consider need to prescribe specific therapeutic measures for hypertension control in menopause stage women. At least in our environment no characteristics of hypertension are observed in women during middle age, although there is a guide for diagnosis and treatment referring to menopause as a potential event of vascular risk, it does not propose different treatment according to sex.

Keywords : arterial hypertension in women; menopause and hypertension; estrogen and vessels; menopause and hypertension.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )