Blood pressure – menopausal women

The comparison between the two OEC/HES surveys (1998-02 and 2008-12) shows that:

in menopausal women (mean age: 62 years old), the mean values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 141 to 136 mmHg and from 84 to 81 mmHg respectively, over the considered decade. The prevalence of hypertension followed the same trend, decreasing form 63% to 58%. Simultaneously, the status of hypertension control improved: among hypertensive menopausal women, the prevalence of well treated subjects increased from 12% to 29%.

Definitions and reference

Hypertensives were defined as those with a mean of two consecutive blood pressure values of systolic (SBP) ≥140 mmHg or diastolic (DBP) ≥90 mmHg or under pharmacological treatment and were divided into groups of ‘not aware’, ‘aware not treated’, ‘aware not well treated’ (treated and SBP ≥140 mmHg or DBP90 ≥90 mmHg) and ‘aware well treated’ (treated and SBP <140 mmHg and DBP <90 mmHg). (“Not aware”: people who had never been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have high blood pressure”).

Reference: Giampaoli S, Palmieri L, Donfrancesco C, Lo Noce C, Pilotto L, Vanuzzo D, on behalf of The Osservatorio Epidemiologico Cardiovascolare/Health Examination Survey Research Group. Cardiovascular health in Italy. Ten-year surveillance of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors: Osservatorio Epidemiologico Cardiovascolare/Health Examination Survey 1998–2012. European journal of preventive cardiology 2015;22(2 Suppl):9-37.