Monitoring our health is booming business, yet measuring blood pressure is lagging behind. 94% of Dutch women know that high blood pressure increases the risk of heart failure, stroke or heart attack. Yet more than half of women between the ages of 40 and 59 say they never measure their blood pressure. This is apparent from research by Etos among more than 3000 Dutch women. “Measuring your blood pressure should actually be an annual routine for women over 40,” says professor of cardiovascular disease in women Hester den Ruijter (UMC Utrecht). “It is fantastic that 80% of women indicate that they are regularly concerned with their health, insight into your own blood pressure is certainly part of that.”
Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death among women in the Netherlands. 1 in 3 Dutch people between the ages of 30 and 70 has high blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is therefore remarkable that the research shows that 2 in 3 women with a family history of cardiovascular disease never measure their blood pressure at home.
Measuring one's own health is popular
80% of the respondents measure at least one health indicator every week. Think of counting steps, the number of minutes that intensive exercise, heart rate, calorie burning or sleep quality. The corona pandemic also affects how Dutch women view their own health and that of their loved ones. Almost 30% indicate that they are more interested in health monitoring since the start of the pandemic.
Knowledge blood pressure lags behind
The research shows that there is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to blood pressure. Statements such as “Blood pressure means your heart beats faster” and “A healthy blood pressure is different in women than in men” were incorrectly answered by 56% and 69% respectively. 72% of the respondents think that high blood pressure causes complaints, while it doesn't have to be. As a result, your blood vessels and your heart can be damaged unnoticed by prolonged high pressure.
Heart complaints in women often difficult to recognize
Hester den Ruijter (professor of cardiovascular disease in women at UMC Utrecht):“You usually don't notice high blood pressure. Even if you eat healthy and exercise a lot, you can have high blood pressure. Therefore, start measuring your blood pressure at home every year from the age of 40. High blood pressure can be tackled fairly easily with lifestyle changes or medication, but the long-term consequences for the heart or vessels are often irreversible.”
Heart complaints are more often difficult to recognize in women, according to internist Jeanine Roeters van Lennep (Erasmus MC). “Chest pain is a very clear signal that many people are familiar with. Even with pain that radiates to the arms, most people think of a heart problem. There are also much more vague symptoms that can be a sign of heart problems. Think of pain between the shoulder blades, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms are more common in women than in men. Women who have had high blood pressure during their pregnancy should also be vigilant. They have a 4 times higher risk of high blood pressure later in life.”
