A new study from the University of Bologna has found that women taking beta-blockers for high blood pressure might be at a higher risk of heart failure than men. This is especially true for women who have never had heart disease before.
Beta-blockers are common medicines used to lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the main causes of heart disease, so these drugs are often used to prevent serious heart problems.
The researchers looked at 13,764 adults in 12 European countries. All the people in the study had high blood pressure but no history of heart disease. The scientists grouped them by gender and whether they were using beta-blockers.
They wanted to see what happened when these people were hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome, which is a group of conditions that includes heart attacks.
One important result was that women on beta-blockers had a 4.6% higher chance of getting heart failure than men. This means that beta-blockers might not work the same way for everyone.
Heart failure is very serious. The study showed that people who had heart failure were about seven times more likely to die than those who had a heart attack without heart failure.
The researchers also found that women who had a severe type of heart attack, called STEMI, were 6.1% more likely to have heart failure than men with the same kind of heart attack.
Interestingly, when people were not taking beta-blockers, both men and women had similar chances of getting heart failure. This suggests that beta-blockers might be playing a role in the higher risk for women.
The researchers said it’s very important for women with high blood pressure to focus on healthy lifestyle choices like eating well and exercising. These habits can help control blood pressure and lower the risk of heart problems.
They also said there might be a link between beta-blockers and hormone replacement therapy in women, which could be increasing the risk. But this part of the study wasn’t deeply explored, so more research is needed.
This study shows that gender can make a difference in how medicines affect people. Doctors may need to think more carefully about what treatments are best for women and men.
If you are a woman with high blood pressure and are taking beta-blockers, this study might be a reason to talk with your doctor. It doesn’t mean you should stop your medicine, but it does show the importance of regular check-ups and personalized treatment.
The study was published in the journal Hypertension and led by Raffaele Bugiardini and his team. It helps us better understand how common blood pressure medicines can affect women and men in different ways.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
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