Women more likely to achieve blood pressure targets than men

Sex differences exist among individuals with hypertension, as women tend to initiate antihypertensive therapy at lower intensities and are less likely to be uptitrated than men, reveals a recent study.

“Nonetheless, attainment of blood pressure targets within 6 months after initiation was higher in women than men,” said the investigators who used data from the PHARMO Data Network between 2010 and 2020 to explore sex differences in the use of antihypertensive therapy and achievement of blood pressure targets among patients with hypertension in a real-world clinical setting.

New users of antihypertensive drugs with a diagnosis of hypertension were included in the analysis. Finally, the investigators examined sex differences in antihypertensive intensity at initiation, time to first intensification, and achievement of blood pressure targets within 6 months following initiation.

A total of 24,851 individuals (48 percent women) met the eligibility criteria. Women were 34-percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 27‒42) more likely than men to be given low-intensity antihypertensive medications at initiation and to start with a diuretic or a beta-blocker.

Furthermore, women had a lower likelihood than men to undergo uptitration (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.93, 95 percent CI, 0.90‒0.96), but they had a 16-percent (95 percent CI, 11‒20) greater chance of achieving blood pressure target levels.