Female Hypertension Research Articles

Use and outcomes of antihypertensive medication treatment in the US hypertensive population: A gender comparison.

Although effective antihypertensive medications have existed for decades, only about half of the hypertensive individuals are considered to have controlled blood pressure. Limited research studies have investigated gender disparity in the utilization and effectiveness of antihypertensive medications treatment. To examine the gender difference in antihypertensive medications' use and the effect of using antihypertensive medication treatment on blood pressure control among the U.S. adult with hypertension. Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from (1999-2012) including individuals≥18 years old with hypertension. Study variables included gender, age, race/ethnicity, obesity, smoking, comorbidities, treatment medication type, and continuity of care. We used multivariate logistic regression in STATA V14. The data is presented as adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Of the 15719 participants, 52% were female. 49% of the antihypertensive medication users had their blood pressure under control (95% CI). In the adjusted logistic regression analysis, use of antihypertensive medications was found to be 12% greater in females as compared to males (OR=1.12; CI=1.02-1.22; P<0.05). No association between gender and blood pressure control was found. Blood pressure control was less likely achieved among 50 years or younger individuals, Blacks and Hispanics, obese, and those taking calcium channel blocker (CCB). Hypertensive females are more likely than males to use antihypertensive medications. The effectiveness of treatment to control blood pressure is equal across males and females. Our findings have implications for practitioners to account gender-specific approaches when discussing adherence to hypertension medication treatment with their patients.

Hypertension in Pregnant Females Promotes Thrombocytopenia

Objective: To determine how often pregnant hypertensive women get thrombocytopenia during the pregnancy. Study Design: Retrospective study Place and Duration: People university of Medical and Health Sciences for Women Nawabshah. January 2022 to December 2022. Methods: Total 63 pregnant females were presented. All the presented females had pregnancy induced hypertension with age group 18-46 years. All cases included platelet estimate, and thrombocytopenia was diagnosed in individuals with a reported platelet count of less than 1,50,000/cumm. All data were analyzed with SPSS 24.0. Results: Pregnant females had mean age 28.6±4.35 years and had mean BMI 26.4±3.29 kg/m2. Frequency of primigravida was 27 (42.9%) and 36 (57.1%) cases were multi-gravida. Majority of the patients 55 (87.3%) had blood pressure 140-160/90-110 mmHg and 8 (12.7%) cases had Bp &gt; 160/110 mmHg. Frequency of thrombocytopenia was found in 17 (26.98%) cases. Among 17 cases of thrombocytopenia mild PIH was found in 3 cases, moderate in 5 cases and 8 cases had severe PIH. Conclusion: In particular, in third-trimester hypertensive pregnant women, gestational thrombocytopenia (GT) is recognized as a primary cause of thrombocytopenia. For those women, careful monitoring both during and after pregnancy is advised. Keywords: Thrombocytopenia, Gestational hypertension, Pregnancy

Trends in the incidence of dementia in people with hypertension in the UK 2000 to 2021.

We investigated trends in the incidence of dementia in UK adults with hypertension. Primary care electronic health records from IQVIA Medical Research Data UK, previously known as THIN, were used to identify 2,133,118 adults aged ≥40 years with hypertension over 2000 to 2021. The annual incidence rate and average annual percentage change in recorded dementia diagnoses were estimated and stratified by sex, 10-year age bands, Townsend deprivation quintiles and dementia subtype. The crude incidence rate of dementia in people with hypertension increased from 1.98 (95% confidence internal [CI] 1.89-2.07) per 1000 person-years at risk (PYAR) in 2000 to 5.29 per 1000 PYAR (95% CI 5.07-5.53) in 2021, corresponding to an average annual increase of 4.1% (95% CI 3.3-5.0). Those aged ≥80 years, the most economically deprived (Townsend=5), and Alzheimer's disease subtype reported the highest incidence rate within their respective categories. The annual incidence rate of dementia in the hypertensive population has increased over the last 22 years. New dementia diagnosis in the hypertensive population has increased over 22 years.The Alzheimer's disease subtype reported the highest incidence rate in people with hypertension.Difference in dementia incidence between hypertensive females and males has reduced.Difference in dementia incidence among deprivation categories has reduced in recent years.

Alterations of gut microbiota are associated with blood pressure: a cross-sectional clinical trial in Northwestern China

BackgroundThe human gut microbiota (GM) is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension (HTN), and could be affected by various factors, including sex and geography. However, available data directly linking GM to HTN based on sex differences are limited.MethodsThis study investigated the GM characteristics in HTN subjects in Northwestern China, and evaluate the associations of GM with blood pressure levels based on sex differences. A total of 87 HTN subjects and 45 controls were recruited with demographic and clinical characteristics documented. Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing.ResultsGM diversity was observed higher in females compared to males, and principal coordinate analysis showed an obvious segregation of females and males. Four predominant phyla of fecal GM included Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. LEfSe analysis indicated that phylum unidentified_Bacteria was enriched in HTN females, while Leuconostocaceae, Weissella and Weissella_cibaria were enriched in control females (P < 0.05). Functionally, ROC analysis revealed that Cellular Processes (0.796, 95% CI 0.620 ~ 0.916), Human Diseases (0.773, 95% CI 0.595 ~ 0.900), Signal transduction (0.806, 95% CI 0.631 ~ 0.922) and Two-component system (0.806, 95% CI 0.631 ~ 0.922) could differentiate HTN females as effective functional classifiers, which were also positively correlated with systolic blood pressure levels.ConclusionsThis work provides evidence of fecal GM characteristics in HTN females and males in a northwestern Chinese population, further supporting the notion that GM dysbiosis may participate in the pathogenesis of HTN, and the role of sex differences should be considered.Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800019191. Registered 30 October 2018 – Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/.

THE PLASMA HDL-SUBFRACTION PROFILE IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH HIGH HDL-CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Objective: The evaluation of cardiovascular risk (CVR) in arterial hypertension includes the estimation of high density lipoprotein (HDL-C). Although HDL-C is considered as a favorite CVR factor, the exact role that HDL-C subfraction profile play in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, especially in higher than usual HDL-C levels (&gt;60 mg/dl) is currently under investigation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma HDL subfraction profile of high HDL-C levels in hypertensive patients compared to normotensive subjects. Design and method: We studied 74 hypertensive patients (60 + 13 years, 62 females) and 24 normotensives, apparently healthy subjects (49 + 14 years, 22 females) with HDL-C equal or above 55 mg/dl. Cholesterol, HDL-C, and TG were determined enzymatically while LDL-C was calculated using the Friedewald formula. Plasma HDL particles were separated and determined electrophorically using Lipoprint System HDL Subfractions Kit. Aortic stiffness (c-f PWV) and central BP (cBP) were evaluated by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (Complior apparatus). Results: We found that hypertensive patients had increased age, BMI, office systolic and diastolic BP, PWV compared to normotensives. Regarding HDL, 10 HDL fractions were separated: fractions 1-3 were denoted as Large-HDL (L-HDL), fractions 4-7 constituted the Intermediate-HDL (I-HDL), and fractions 8-10 were denoted as Small-HDL (S-HDL) subfraction. Although HDL-C levels were similar between groups (76 + 13 vs. 81 + 17 mg/dl, p = 0.10), the percent distribution (%) of L-HDL was lower in hypertensives compared to normotensives (29.8±4.7% vs. 36.6±6.3%, p&lt;0.001), % I-HDL was similar while % S-HDL was increased (27.3±3.7% vs. 20.4±4.4%, p&lt;0.001). We found a significant negative correlation between L-HDL and SBP (rho = -0.48, p = 0.01) as well as cBP (rho = -0.52, p = 0.008) in younger hypertensive females before menopause (n = 26, 49 + 5 years). Conclusions: L-HDL particles, the most antiatherogenic HDL-C subfraction, were reduced in hypertensive patients with high HDL-C levels compared to normotensive subjects, suggesting that these patients are probably less protected against CV disease compared to normotensive subjects with similar HDL-C and LDL-C levels. Therefore, plasma HDL-subfraction profile might replace the HDL-C evaluation as a better biomarker of CVR in hypertensive patients, especially females before menopause.

Spontaneous Subgaleal Hemorrhage in a Child with Autism

Objective Women have continued to bear a heavy burden of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality with hypertension as the flagship. This is partly because as the modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors are falling in rate, gender specific risk factors have persisted. One of them is age at first pregnancy and delivery. Methods In order to contribute to this discourse, we secondarily analysed data generated in a previous field study on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in free living adults in Plateau State, Nigeria. The women were divided into four groups and we looked at blood pressure at the time of study from the perspective of age at first pregnancy. Reults It was found that those who had their first pregnancy in the late teenage years had the lowest mean arterial blood pressure many years down the line; better than those who started child bearing earlier and those who started later. There was also significant within and between group differences in the blood pressures (p = 0.000). Conclusion To stem the tide of female hypertension later in life, child bearing should not start in the early teenage years nor be unnecessarily delayed. Sociocultural conditions that promote early teenage marriage and pregnancy should be discouraged.

Divergent Sex-Specific Effects of Toll-like Receptor 4 and Cluster of Differentiation 14 in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Hypertension

Renal inflammation accompanies hypertension and renal damage in Dahl Salt-Sensitive rats fed a high salt diet (HS, 4.0% NaCl). Via a transcriptomics approach, we previously found cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), partner molecules involved in innate immune system activation, to be upregulated in renal medullary tissue of Dahl SS rats after a HS challenge. A subsequent study demonstrated that both CD14 and TLR4 are upregulated in macrophages infiltrating the kidneys of Dahl SS fed HS. Interestingly, CD14 deletion on the Dahl SS background confers an amplification of hypertension and renal damage in females but has no effect in males. Given this finding, we examined sex-specific effects of TLR4 deletion in the pathogenesis of Dahl SS hypertension. The current study tested the hypothesis that TLR4 knockout differentially modulates salt-sensitivity in males versus females. A mutation was generated in the TLR4 gene on the Dahl SS background using CRISPR-Cas9 technology to create a 1-basepair frameshift mutation resulting in a premature stop codon. SS TLR4+/+ and SS TLR4-/- males (n=10) and females (n=6), maintained on a low salt chow (LS, 0.4% NaCl), underwent telemeter implantation at approximately 7 weeks of age for continuous monitoring of blood pressure. Following recovery and baseline blood pressure recordings, animals were switched to a HS chow for 3 weeks. Urine samples were collected once during the LS period and weekly throughout the HS challenge. Kidneys were flushed and harvested for analysis. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was not different between the groups during the baseline period (117.3 ± 1, 116.9 ± 1, 117.3 ± 1, 116.9 ± 2 mmHg). Throughout the HS challenge, MAP was significantly reduced in the male SS TLR4-/- compared to male SS TLR4+/+ (day 19: 150.8 ± 4 vs. 162.5 ± 5 mmHg, p=0.010), but MAP was unchanged in female SS TLR4-/- compared to SSTLR4+/+ (151.6 ± 4 vs 155.3 ± 4 mmHg, p=0.554). Similarly, urinary albumin excretion was reduced in the male SS TLR4-/- versus SS TLR4+/+ (170.3 ± 27 vs 321.3 ± 63 mg/day, p=0.023), indicative of reduced renal injury in these animals. Albuminuria was not observed to be different between female SS TLR4-/- and SS TLR4+/+ (149.7 ± 24 vs 145.9 ± 14, p=0.448). At the end of the HS challenge, immune cells were isolated from the kidneys of these animals and characterized by flow cytometric analysis. We observed no difference in either the circulating or infiltrating immune cell profile between wildtypes and knockouts. These results indicate a male-specific effect of TLR4 deletion and suggest that TLR4 promotes salt-sensitive hypertension and renal damage in males. This finding contrasts with the effect of TLR4’s partner molecule, CD14, which attenuates SS hypertension in females. Further studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of TLR4/CD14 activation and signaling during salt-sensitive hypertension. HL161231 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Renal mitochondrial metabolism is differentially regulated in male and female kidneys in Ang II -- induced hypertension

Introduction. In 2020, more than 670,000 deaths in the United States had hypertension as a primary or contributing cause. Females generally exhibit less susceptibility to hypertensive renal damage compared to males. It is established that renal mitochondrial dysfunction and associated oxidative stress contribute to hypertension development. Our previous studies have shown that healthy renal mitochondria in the absence of hypertension exhibit sex differences in antioxidant protein abundance, ROS production, and oxygen consumption rates. We hypothesized here that in hypertensive state mitochondrial metabolism in male and female kidneys differentially regulates tissue damage and ultimately hypertension in females. Methods. To address our hypothesis, we used 11-week-old male and female Sprague Dawley rats infused with Angiotensin II (400 ng/kg/min to induce hypertension) or vehicle for 3 weeks via a s.c. osmotic pump. Mitochondria were isolated from the renal cortex and medulla of these rats; mitochondrial membrane potential and H 2 O 2 production were measured by spectrofluorimetry using TMRM and Amplex Red dyes. Two-way ANOVA was utilized for statistical analysis in OriginPro. Metabolic profiles of renal cortices and medullae were generated using UHPLC-HRMS, and metabolites were identified by retention time exact mass using MAVEN and MetaboAnalyst software. Results. Spectrofluorimetry showed decreased membrane potential in both male and female renal medulla in animals infused with Ang II compared to vehicle (p&lt;0.001), while in cortex this difference was only recorded in females (p=0.03). Ang II-infusion reduced H 2 O 2 production in the renal cortex and medulla of female rats (p&lt;0.001) compared to sham groups, while this was not observed in males. In both Ang II and vehicle-infused groups, females maintained higher H 2 O 2 production compared to males. UHPLC-HRMS identified 147 mitochondria-related metabolites in each group. Ang II infusion increased TCA cycle and purine metabolites as well as amino acids in the cortex of both sexes and in male medulla, whereas these changes were not revealed in the female medulla. Interestingly, females exhibited a decrease in amino acid metabolism in the renal medulla. In contrast to the male cortex, the female cortex is responding to oxidative stress induced by hypertension by altering arginine biosynthesis and metabolism. Arginine is a biosynthetic precursor to putrescine, which is involved in polyamine biosynthesis. Conclusions. Male and female kidneys employ divergent metabolic mitochondria-related pathways in hypertensive state. The male cortex may rely more on protein degradation to produce uric acid, an antioxidant, while the female cortex utilizes protein degradation and polyamine biosynthesis in oxidative stress management. R01HL148114 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Sympathetic pressor responses to glutamate nanoinjections in the rostral ventrolateral medulla are influenced by ovarian hormones in active but not sedentary female rats

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. One of the leading risk factors for CVD is hypertension. The incidence of hypertension in females increases drastically after the onset of menopause, suggesting female reproductive hormones have cardioprotective effects. However, the interaction between female reproductive hormones and blood pressure-lowering effects of regular physical activity are poorly understood. Blood pressure is controlled by a region of the brainstem known as the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Previously, we reported that female rats had lower resting blood pressure than male rats, but had higher sympathoexcitatory responses to direct activation of the RVLM, as did sedentary animals from both sexes. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to examine the interaction between ovarian hormones and sedentary and active conditions. We hypothesized that during low or high hormone stages, sedentary female rats would have higher blood pressure responses to activation of the RVLM compared to the physically active female rats. In addition, we hypothesized that ovariectomy (OVX) would reduce the ability of exercise to blunt pressor responses to RVLM activation. OVX or sham surgeries were performed at four weeks of age and groups were split into active (running wheels) or sedentary conditions (no running wheels) for 12 weeks. At 16 weeks of age, vaginal lavages were collected under Isoflurane anesthesia to categorize stages of the estrous cycle and all rats received glutamate nanoinjections (1, 10, &amp; 100 mM; 30 nl ea.) into the RVLM, under Inactin anesthesia. Sedentary versus active conditions promoted significantly greater pressor responses to nanoinjections of glutamate (100 mM) in the RVLM in both the high hormone (proestrus/estrus; 25±2 vs 14±3 mmHg, p&lt;0.001) and low hormone (diestrus/metestrus; 21±2 vs 14±2 mmHg, p=0.007) groups. In OVX rats, the beneficial effects of exercise appeared to be lost as pressor responses to 100 mM of glutamate were similar in sedentary versus active rats (20±2 vs 25±6 mmHg, resp., p&gt;0.05). Our results indicate that the absence of ovarian hormones offset the decreased pressor responses originating from the RVLM in active but not sedentary animals and could help explain the increased risk for CVD in females after menopause. They also demonstrate the increased risks of CVD and hypertension associated with a sedentary lifestyle as a result of this greater sensitivity to sympathoexcitation. 1R01-HL161233 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Sex-specific splenic inflammation underlies sexual dimorphic effects of ACE2 in hypertension

Introduction: Sex differences in salt-sensitive hypertension and pharmacotherapy are commonly recognized. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. ACE inhibitor is less effective in females than males, suggesting a better protective mechanism of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) in female hypertension. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2, located on the X chromosome, is thereby a central candidate of sex differences in hypertension and pharmacotherapy. Thus, our objective is to test the sex specific protective role of ACE2 in salt hypertension. Since the females have a more regulatory RAS than males, we hypothesized that absence of ACE2 resulted in a higher blood pressure and more inflammation in females than males. Methods: ACE2 exon 2 was globally deleted using CRISPR/Cas9, resulting in a novel rat model in the Dahl salt-sensitive (S) background: male Ace2-/y and female Ace2-/+, Ace2-/-. Blood pressure was measured by telemetry in male (S n=7; S Ace2-/y n=6) and female (S n=7; Ace2-/+ n=7; Ace2-/- n=5) rats on 3 weeks high salt diets. Serum ACE2 activity was measured using ELISA. Spleen as the harbor of systemic immunity was studied for Inflammatory markers by gene expression analysis and flow cytometry. Results: Compared to sex-matched S rats, (1) serum ACE2 activity was decreased in female Ace2-/- (0.28 fold, p&lt;0.0001) and male Ace2-/y (0.3 fold, p&lt;0.0001); (2) systolic blood pressure was increased in female Ace2-/- (+67.89 mmHg, p&lt;0.0001) and male Ace2-/y (+48.64 mmHg, p&lt;0.0001) rats. Importantly, a sex-specific upregulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines were found exclusively in the female Ace2-/- rat spleens: Il6 (1.8 fold, p&lt;0.05), Il1b (2.1 fold, p&lt;0.05) and Il17rc (2.3 fold, p&lt;0.01). In contrast, male Ace2-/y rats showed no difference in Il6 and Il1b, but downregulation of the splenic Il17rc (0.78 fold, p&lt;0.05), Th17 cells (IL17a on CD4+ cells, 0.76 fold, p&lt;0.01), regulatory T cells (FOXP3 on CD4+ cells, 0.49 fold, p&lt;0.01), CD68+ macrophage (0.76 fold, p&lt;0.01) and CD11bc+ dendritic cells (0.89 fold, p&lt;0.001).Furthermore, compared with female S rats, heterozygous female Ace2-/+ rats had decreased serum ACE2 activity (0.6 fold, p&lt;0.001), rescued blood pressure increase (+7.5 mmHg, p&lt;0.0001) and no increases in splenic inflammatory cytokines Il6, Il1b and Il17rc. Conclusions: Despite significantly lower serum ACE2 activity in heterozygous female Ace2-/+ rats, the protection in blood pressure and splenic inflammation was mainly preserved. This suggests a protective role of ACE2, beyond RAS, in inflammation-associated high blood pressure. Moreover, this novel protective role of ACE2 is exclusively in female salt hypertension, evidenced by greater increases in systolic blood pressure and splenic inflammation in female only. NIH R21AI164449 and R21AG079357. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Differential Motif and Transcription Factor Binding Predictions Link to ULK4 Gene Polymorphisms and Associated with Essential Hypertension in Caucasian Females

Differential Motif and Transcription Factor Binding Predictions Link to ULK4 Gene Polymorphisms and Associated with Essential Hypertension in Caucasian Females

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypertension in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and represents a major public health challenge worldwide. There is a paucity of information regarding the hypertension status of adults in Somaliland. We aimed to assess the magnitude of, and factors associated with, hypertension among adult patients seeking care at Hargeisa group hospital in Hargeisa city, Somaliland. We conducted a health facility-based cross-sectional study enrolling adult outpatients. We used the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise surveillance approach to obtain patient information. A total of 319 participants (54.2% males; mean age 40.4 ± 14.0 years) had complete data records. The prevalence of hypertension was 22.6% (95% confidence interval; 18.2-27.6%). The prevalence of hypertension increased with age and was higher in males (24.9%) than in females (19.9%). Age, cholesterolaemia and obesity were significantly associated with hypertension. Separate analyses for females and males revealed that obesity was significantly associated with hypertension in females but not in males. On the contrary, cholesterolaemia was significantly associated with hypertension in males but not in females. We found a high prevalence of hypertension and multiple risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in outpatients seeking care in Hargeisa. Our findings emphasise the need for enhanced focus on the prevention and management of NCDs in Somaliland.

The Impact Of Exercise On Affect Balance Styles In Older, Hypertensive Females: Preliminary Findings

The Impact Of Exercise On Affect Balance Styles In Older, Hypertensive Females: Preliminary Findings

Stemming The Tide Of Hypertension In Women: Optimal Age For Obstetric Debut

Objective Women have continued to bear a heavy burden of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality with hypertension as the flagship. This is partly because as the modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors are falling in rate, gender specific risk factors have persisted. One of them is age at first pregnancy and delivery. Methods In order to contribute to this discourse, we secondarily analysed data generated in a previous field study on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in free living adults in Plateau State, Nigeria. The women were divided into four groups and we looked at blood pressure at the time of study from the perspective of age at first pregnancy. Reults It was found that those who had their first pregnancy in the late teenage years had the lowest mean arterial blood pressure many years down the line; better than those who started child bearing earlier and those who started later. There was also significant within and between group differences in the blood pressures (p = 0.000). Conclusion To stem the tide of female hypertension later in life, child bearing should not start in the early teenage years nor be unnecessarily delayed. Sociocultural conditions that promote early teenage marriage and pregnancy should be discouraged.

Pattern of Consumption of Dietary and Herbal Supplements by Individuals with Non-Communicable Diseases During Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Cognizance of the implication of Covid-19 pandemic on health and well-being resulted in an upsurge in use of several dietary and herbal supplements (DHS) for the prevention and/or prophylaxis against the new disease. Objectives: To evaluate the pattern of DHS consumption among Nigerians with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Setting: Adolescents, and adults residing in Nigeria. Participants: Participants with NCD (n = 165) from a larger study (n=645) were recruited from different geo-political zones and various ethnic groups. Primary and Secondary Outcomes: Prevalence and determinants of the use of different DHS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria, and sources of information for DHS use. Results: Hypertension was the most prevalent NCD (63.6%) in the study and both breast cancer and anxiety disorder were the least (0.6%). Overall, 75.2% of the respondents had less than 8 hours of sleep daily and almost all did not smoke cigarette at all. The proportion of male and female hypertensives who believed that dietary supplements are necessary during infectious disease outbreak such as Covid-19 was moderately high (55.2%), higher among asthmatics (65.0%), diabetes (68.4%), those with kidney disease (100.0%) and ulcer (83.3%). All or almost all the respondents with hypertension (96.2%), asthma (95.0%), diabetes (100.0%) and kidney disease (100.0%), consumed supplements more during Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The proportion of those who consumed supplements more during the pandemic in Nigeria was higher among male (56.4%) than among the female (43.6%) hypertensives, though the difference was not statistically significant (χ²=2.93, P-value=0.09). Vitamin C was the commonest vitamin taken by respondents with ulcer (83.3%), kidney disease (83.3%), diabetes (57.9%), asthma (50.0%), hypertension (48.6%) and the two respondents with breast cancer (1, 100.0%) and anxiety disorder (1, 100.0%) respectively. Calcium and zinc were the commonest minerals taken by respondents with ulcer (50.0%, 16.7%), diabetes (10.5%, 5.3%), asthma (30.0%, 10.0%) and hypertension (13.3%, 11.4%) respectively. High proportions (83.3%, 80.0%) of those with kidney disease and with asthma consumed DHS to maintain good health. Health workers were the dominant source of information for most on the use of supplements during Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Conclusions: The findings showed widespread use of DHS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 among persons with NCD. The use of DHS in this study was mainly guided by health workers with a marginal role of social media and Mass media. These findings call for a more robust consolidative tactic towards DHS to ensure its proper and safe use.

Effect of Relaxation Technique on Blood Pressure, Stress and Quality of Life among Hypertensive Females in Damanhour City

Effect of Relaxation Technique on Blood Pressure, Stress and Quality of Life among Hypertensive Females in Damanhour City

Waist-to-height ratio and new-onset hypertension in middle-aged and older adult females from 2011 to 2015: A 4-year follow-up retrospective cohort study from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Central obesity was closely associated with hypertension. Middle-aged and older adult females, defined as those aged 45 and above, were more likely to suffer from central obesity. For waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was used as central obesity assessment, the object of this study was to illustrate the relationship between WHtR and the incidence of hypertension in middle-aged and older adult females in China. Data used in this prospective cohort study was derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in a baseline survey from 2011 to 2012 with a follow-up duration of 4 years. The waist-to-height ratio was calculated as waist circumstance divided by height, and the cohort was divided into different groups based on WHtR level. The outcome variable was new-onset hypertension. Of the 2,438 participants included in the study, 1,821 (74.7%) had high WHtR levels (WHtR ≥ 0.5). As WHtR was closely related to new-onset hypertension in a multivariable logistics regression mode [OR: 7.89 (95% CI: 2.10-29.67)], individuals with high WHtR were also more likely to suffer from hypertension compared with low WHtR levels [OR: 1.34 (95% CI: 1.06-1.69)]. WHtR is positively related to the risk of hypertension incidents among middle-aged and older adult females. Individuals with WHtR ≥ 0.5 were more likely to suffer from hypertension.

Oral Labetalol in Comparison with Methyldopa in Treatment of Gestational Hypertension as a First Line Drug

Background: Defining hypertension in pregnancy, it is taken as systolic blood pressure of 140 or more and diastolic blood pressure of 90mg or more. Presence of proteinurea differentiates chronic hypertension and gestational hypertension from pre eclampsia .Prevalence and incidence of hypertension in pregnancy along with its complications like end-organ damage, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and postpartum eclampsia are increasing. Gestational hypertension and its sequels are major causes of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality and affect almost 8% of pregnancies. Labetalol and methyldopa were effective in reducing systolic and diastolic BP significantly but labetalol was found to control BP more rapidly and efficiently. Safety profile of both drugs was similar. The rationale of this study is Labetalol is more effective in comparison with Methyldopa in pregnancy induced hypertensive females in terms of control of blood pressure within 48hours of drug intake, in pregnant patients between POG of 28 to 32 weeks. Design: Randomized control trial. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Gynaecology Unit 2 Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022. Methodology: One hundred 100 patients having gestational hypertension between periods of gestation from 28to 32 weeks were enrolled. They were divided into 2 groups; group A treated with labetalol and B treated with methyldopa respectively. Results: Statistical no significant difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed before starting treatment in both groups but a significant fall in diastolic blood pressure was observed in group A after 48 hrs of initiation of treatment i.e., with labetalol (P = 0.007) Conclusion: Both labetalol and methyldopa reduce blood pressure in women with gestational hypertension but labetalol is more effective than methyldopa as proved by our study. Keywords: Gestational hypertension, Diastolic blood pressure, Labetalol, Methyldopa

FREQUENCY OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD) AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH DIABETES MELLITUS, HYPERTENSION AND CHOLELITHIASIS AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING ROUTINE ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Objective: To find the frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its association with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cholelithiasis.&#x0D; Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in department of radiology, Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal. About 545 subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included through nonprobability/ convenient sampling technique. Abdominal ultrasound of every participant was conducted to determine frequency of NAFLD among sample size. A structured questionnaire consisting of demographic details and comorbidities was designed. Diabetic, and hypertensive status was determined on patient’s history and choleli-thiasis was assessed on ultrasonography. Data were entered in SPSS 21 software and presented as frequency and percentages.&#x0D; Results: Among 545 patients there were 282 (51.7%) male and 263 (48.3%) female participants with mean age of 48.56 ± 3.67 years SD. The overall frequency of NAFLD in the sample size was 39.8%. Diabetes was found in 115 (21.1%) participants, NAFLD was present in 44(64.7%) diabetic males and 29 (25.2%) diabetic females. Hypertension was found in 92 (16.9%) participants, NAFLD was present in 30(32.6%) hypertensive males and 24 (61.5%) hypertensive females. Cholelithiasis was found in 18 (8.0%) patients NAFLD was present in 30(32.6%) hypertensive males and 24 (61.5%) hypertensive females. There was no statistical significant difference among gender and presence of NAFLD. (P&gt;0.05)&#x0D; Conclusion: It is concluded that on ultrasound NAFLD is a common finding and it is associated with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cholelithiasis.

PS-P12-12: ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS WITH FEMALE HYPERTENSION: EVIDENCE FROM OVER 10 MILLION CHINESE MARRIED FEMALE POPULATION

Objective: Psychological stress was a potential risk factor for hypertension, but the association between specific chronic stressors and female hypertension remains unclear. We examined the potential associations between the psychological stress within the family and female hypertension. Design and method: Reproductive-aged females along with their husbands from the National Free Pre-pregnancy Checkup Projects in 2016 and 2017 were recruited. The stress of wives and husbands was collected by a 5-point Likert-type scale, assessed by two domains: work/life-related stress and economic-related stress. Overall stress was defined as the higher stress level of work/life stress and economic stress. To include categories in the analysis with sufficient numbers of persons, this variable was recoded into four categories as follows: 1 = not stressed at all, 2 = slightly stressed, 3 = moderately stressed and 4 = a lot or extremely stressed. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP/diastolic BP &gt; = 140/90 mm Hg or self-reported history of hypertension. Age-adjusted and multiple-covariates-adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between multiple types of stress statuses and hypertension. Results: Of 10 027 644 couples, 261 098 (2.60%) females were hypertension. The median age of wives was 27 (24–32) years and husbands 29 (26–34) years.1 574 191 (15.7%) wives feel stressed and 1 807 480(18.0%) husbands feel stressed. The stressor of 734 095 (7.32%) wives and 878 887 (8.76%) husbands was work/life, and 1 400 973 (14.0%) wives and 1722 007(17.2%) husbands economic. The results showed that the higher stress level wives or husbands had, the higher prevalence of female hypertension was found (Pfor trend &lt; 0.001). Compared with the unstressed participants, wives or husbands with the highest stress level had the highest risk of female hypertension, with adjusted ORs of 1.28(95%CI:1.23 to 1.34) and 1.23(95%CI:1.18 to 1.27), respectively. After further adjustment for female stress, slightly stressed husbands decreased the risk of female hypertension [OR:0.96(95%CI: 0.94 to 0.97)]. Consistent trends were also observed in economic-stressed groups and life/work-stressed groups. Conclusions: Not only stress of wives but also moderate or severe stress of husbands within the family indicates a higher risk of female hypertension. A family-based stress-relieving program may help improve hypertension control in females.