High blood pressure is often described as a problem for older adults.
But something is shifting quietly in the background.
New research shows deaths related to high blood pressure are rising in younger women. Not slightly. Significantly.
Between 1999 and 2023, deaths from hypertension-related heart disease in women ages 25 to 44 increased more than fourfold.
That’s not something to ignore.
This isn’t who we think of as “at risk”
When people think about heart disease, they usually picture older adults, men, and people with obvious health problems. Younger women are typically not part of that picture.
And that may be part of the problem.
High blood pressure is often silent. It doesn’t always come with symptoms. And in younger women, it may not be taken as seriously, either by patients or clinicians.
The women most impacted
The risk is not evenly distributed.
Some women are being hit much harder than others.
Black women
Non-Hispanic Black women had the highest death rates linked to high blood pressure, more than three times higher than White women.
That’s not just biology. It reflects differences in access to care, chronic stress and structural and social factors that build over time.
Women in the South
Women living in the Southern United States had the highest rates of hypertension-related death compared to other regions.
That likely reflects a mix of healthcare access, diet patterns, and environmental and socioeconomic factors.
Women in their reproductive years
This is a group that often falls through the cracks.
Women between 25 and 44 are not typically under cardiology care. They are focused on work, family, and pregnancy, and sometimes they only interact with the healthcare system through OB-GYN visits. And yet, pregnancy and hormonal changes can increase cardiovascular risk in ways that are often overlooked.
A quiet gap in care
There’s another uncomfortable piece here.
Women are less likely to be flagged early for cardiovascular risk than men. Historically, research and awareness around heart diseae have focused more on men and older women. Hence, younger women can sit in a kind of blind spot.
What actually happens if blood pressure stays high
Over time, uncontrolled high blood pressure doesn’t just sit there.
It quietly damages the heart muscle, blood vessels, the brain, etc. It can lead to heart failure, heat attacks, and strokes.
The takeaway that doesn’t get enough attention
This isn’t about panic. It’s more about recognition.
High blood pressure is common. Nearly half of adults in the U.S. have it.
But in younger women, it’s often underdiagnosed, undertreated and underestimated.
What to do with this:
I think this study is good cause for a shift in awareness. Right now, high blood pressure in younger women isn’t on that many people’s radar.
Perhaps younger women should monitor their blood pressure at home. That’s a proactive, relatively easy thing to do.
Unfortunately, this is another data point indicating that the chronic disease burden is increasing in younger and younger people. It also speaks more broadly to chronic systemic issues that limit a person’s access to things that nurture health and wellbeing, thereby fueling chronic diseases.
The US needs to do a better job at prevention, period.
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Other gems from the blog:
How much does obesity increase infectious disease risk?
Related to high blood pressure, you might enjoy this Causes or Cures podcast on the best (research-proven) exercise for maintaining a healthy blood pressure. The researchers do a great job explaining why one type of exercise proved better than others. (You can also do these types of exercises at home, no problem!)
Work with Me? Perhaps it’s a good match. ;)
You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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