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Blood Pressure & Menopause

Until recent years, medical professionals thought that women didn't have the same risks of high blood pressure as men. However, that thinking has now changed. "Blood pressure generally increases after menopause," states Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., at MayoClinic.com. "Likewise, postmenopausal women have a higher risk of high blood pressure than do pre-menopausal women--which suggests that the hormonal and biochemical changes of menopause may play a role in high blood pressure."

  1. Estrogen-Menopause Connection

    • Women who still produce high levels of estrogen are protected from some of the risk of high blood pressure because it helps protect the blood vessels, keeping them pliable, safe and working at optimum level to deliver blood throughout the body. After the ovaries slow down the production of estrogen, some of this protection is lost.

    Weight Gain

    • When a woman enters the first stage of menopause, she is prone to weight gain due to the fluctuating hormone levels. It continues to increase through premenopause, perimenopause and may not slow down until the post-menopause phase. As her weight goes up, her heart has to work harder to pump the blood, thus causing an increase in blood pressure.

    Hormone Replacement Therapy and High Blood Pressure

    • Some women who take hormone replacement therapy may see an increase in their blood pressure. According to highbloodpressuretoday.com, they are approximately 25 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than women who are not on hormone replacement therapy.

    How to Control Blood Pressure During Menopause with Diet

    • Women need to be diligent in maintaining good health if they want to lead a long, healthy life, and that includes keeping their blood pressure in check. Increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains in the diet is an excellent place to start. Keep alcohol consumption to very small amounts, never exceeding one glass of wine, beer or cocktail per day. Reduce sodium by not adding salt at the table and cooking with less.

    Other Lifestyle Changes

    • Maintain a healthy weight, and if you smoke, stop. If you already have a fitness program, add more cardiovascular exercises. For women who don't exercise, start an exercise regime and work up to at least 30 minutes per day, three to four days per week. Walking is an excellent exercise that can be incorporated into most people's daily routine. The amount of time working out each day may be broken into shorter intervals (15 minutes twice per day). If your blood pressure is still high, there are medications your doctor may prescribe to bring it down.

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