Sex Influences Mortality Risk Associated With Diastolic BP
Wow..this is some new news to me! Men with systolic (the top number) hypertension and normal diastolic (bottom number) were at higher risk of cardiovascular mortality than those systolic hypertensive men with elevated diastolic values. No theory was given for these results.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:163-168 Middle-aged men with systolic hypertension appear to be at higher risk of death when their diastolic blood pressure is normal than when their diastolic blood pressure is mildly or moderately increased. However, women appear to be at increased risk when both the systolic and diastolic blood pressures are elevated, according to a report by French researchers. For both men and women, the investigators found that cardiovascular mortality increased as systolic blood pressure increased. After adjusting for age and systolic blood pressure, they noted that for subjects with normal systolic pressure, diastolic pressure did not influence cardiovascular mortality. Dr. Benetos’ team detected a U-shaped curve relationship between cardiovascular mortality and diastolic pressure in men with systolic hypertension. In this group, the lowest mortality rates were seen among men whose diastolic pressure was 90 to 99 mm Hg. However, there was a 73% increase in mortality for men whose diastolic pressure was less than 90 mm Hg, and a 65% increase in mortality when the diastolic pressure was 110 mm Hg or greater, according to the report. Additionally, among women with systolic hypertension, diastolic blood pressure was “positively correlated with cardiovascular mortality,” the researchers note. “In middle-aged subjects, classification of cardiovascular risk according to diastolic blood pressure levels should take into account gender, especially when systolic blood pressure levels are elevated,” Dr. Benetos’ group concludes.