In a recent study published in Hypertension, researchers at the University of Bologna found that women taking beta-blockers for high blood pressure have a higher risk for heart failure than men.
One author of the study is Raffaele Bugiardini, M.D.
Beta-blockers are medications that reduce high blood pressure and are prescribed for adults with high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease.
In the study, the team analyzed the effects of beta-blockers on men and women with high blood pressure and no history of heart disease after presenting with coronary syndromes.
They analyzed data from 13,764 adults in 12 European countries who had hypertension and no prior history of heart disease.
Patients were classified by sex/gender and then separated into two groups: those taking beta-blockers and those who were not.
The researchers found that among the participants taking beta-blockers, women had a 4.6% higher rate of heart failure than men when presenting to the hospital with the coronary syndrome.
The mortality of both men and women with heart failure was almost seven times that of patients with a heart attack and no heart failure complications.
Women who had ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were 6.1% more likely to have heart failure than men with STEMI.
STEMI is a serious form of a heart attack in which a coronary artery is completely blocked and a large part of the heart muscle is unable to receive blood.
Men and women not taking beta-blockers had about the same rate of heart failure.
The researchers say that for women who have no history of heart disease and only high blood pressure, it is very important for them to regulate their blood pressure through diet and exercise.
It’s possible that the increased risk of heart failure for women is due to an interaction between hormone replacement therapy and beta-blockers, and this should be tested in future research.
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