New research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that in heterosexual couples, if one spouse or partner has high blood pressure, the other partner is often affected as well.
This study, conducted in the U.S., England, China, and India, aimed to explore whether couples in different countries mirrored each other’s high blood pressure status.
The study provides valuable insights into the association between high blood pressure in couples from both high- and middle-income countries.
Key Findings
Approximately 47% of couples in England, 38% in the U.S., 21% in China, and 20% in India had both spouses or partners with high blood pressure.
In the U.S. and England, wives were 9% more likely to have high blood pressure if their husbands had it, while the increase was 19% in India and 26% in China.
Similar associations were observed for husbands within each country, and these trends persisted across various factors like residence area, household wealth, length of marriage, age groups, and education levels.
The study found that the association between couples’ blood pressure status was particularly strong in collectivist societies like China and India, where couples tend to influence each other’s health more due to cultural beliefs of sticking together and providing mutual support.
The research highlights the potential of couple-based approaches for high blood pressure diagnosis and management, such as joint screening, skills training, or participation in programs.
The study’s findings suggest that addressing hypertension within couples may be an effective strategy for reducing the global public health burden of high blood pressure, considering the substantial impact it has on cardiovascular health.
Bethany Barone Gibbs, Ph.D., FAHA, an associate professor and chair of epidemiology and biostatistics at the School of Public Health at West Virginia University, commented on the study’s significance, emphasizing the need for a broader approach to reduce the global burden of hypertension.
She suggested that interventions should consider determinants of hypertension across various levels, including individual, interpersonal, environmental, and policy factors.
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The research findings can be found in Journal of the American Heart Association.
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