1.  Starting point:  How are we different than men?

Women are “different in every organ system of the body, including the brain, the heart, the gut — even our skin is different from that of men in important ways.”
– Legato, Dr. Marianne, Founder of the Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University. Interview with ABC News on Dec. 3, 2004
abcnews.go.com

2. Does the risk of having Pre-Hypertension Blood Pressures between 120 - 139 over 80 – 89 vary between women and men?

Overall the Risk of cardiovascular disease in pre-hypertension category. It is reported as more than double the risk from cardiovascular disease. The gender breakdown is:

• 1.6 times the risk for men as compared with normal
• 2.5 times the risk for women - i.e. more dangerous for women

JNC7, page 9, New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 345:1291-1297 November 1, 2001;
Click here to read the article

Read more at: Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure, What are High Blood Pressure and Prehypertension:  www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Blood Pressure as a common risk factor for Heart Disease, Stroke and Diabetes click here

A source of women’s health information on heart disease and other topics:
Heart Disease, Frequently Asked Questions
www.4woman.gov

The Society for Women’s Health Research is the nation’s only non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through research, education and advocacy.
www.womenshealthresearch.org

Bottom line, women are still under-represented in clinical trials and even if women are included, often the results are not stated according to gender so that we can benefit from knowledge specifically for female bodies.

A study found: from 1997 – 2006.  They found that women were underrepresented, based on general population incidence ….  women enrolled in all trial was 27% versus 53% of all patients with CVD.

In another study: Women made up around 31% of those in coronary artery disease trials overall – up from 9% in 1970.  And women 17% of participants in trials on cholesterol lowering drugs, yet millions of women take these medications.  (women may suffer more side effects).
www.womenshealthresearch.org

Women and Men – 10 differences:
www.womenshealthresearch.org