Why women should monitor blood pressure differently, according to a new study - CNN
While less than 120 millimeters per mercury may be within the normal range for men, the target systolic blood pressure for women should be less than 110 millimeters per mercury, the study found.These results change the way we should look at what is considered normal blood pressure for women, said senior author Dr.
"We've been thinking about what normal blood pressure is in people under the assumption that men and women are the same, when really they're a lot more different than we realized," said Cheng, who also serves as associate professor of cardiology at Cedars-Sinai."Even when it looks like it's in the normal range for everybody — or really for men — even when it is under 120, if it's above 110 it's something to keep an eye on."
She recommends women monitor themselves when they are relaxed at home, by using a blood pressure cuff approved through FDA trials, like the one Omron makes.After several at-home tests, it'll be easier for them to find their true average, according to Cheng."Due to the observational nature of this and the other highlighted studies, we should adhere to published guidelines for blood pressure targets for women and men," said Yang, who is also incoming chair of the American College of Cardiology Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Section.As more studies are published, I anticipate that sex-specific differences in high blood pressure definitions and management may emerge."
Cheng said her team's research on blood pressure and sex differences is only the tip of the iceberg of a much bigger goal in the health field: personalized medicine.