High blood pressure is one of the most common health problems in the world, and many people take medicine to control it. One type of medicine often used is called beta-blockers.
These drugs help slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But new research suggests that beta-blockers might not work the same way for everyone, especially when it comes to women.
A study from the University of Bologna in Italy found that women may face a higher risk of heart failure than men when taking beta-blockers, even if they never had heart disease before.
This risk seems to show up when they are hospitalized with a serious heart problem known as acute coronary syndrome. This condition happens when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, which can be life-threatening.
The researchers looked at health data from nearly 14,000 adults in 12 European countries. All of them had high blood pressure, and none had a history of heart disease. The study compared men and women who were and were not taking beta-blockers.
What the researchers found was surprising. Women taking beta-blockers were about 4.6% more likely to develop heart failure than men when they were in the hospital with an acute coronary event.
The risk was even higher for women who had a specific kind of heart attack called STEMI, where a coronary artery is completely blocked. In those cases, women were 6.1% more likely than men to develop heart failure.
In contrast, men and women who were not taking beta-blockers had similar rates of heart failure, suggesting the medicine may play a role in the difference. The study also found that once someone develops heart failure, their chance of dying goes up a lot—about seven times higher than someone who has a heart attack but no heart failure.
Doctors have long known that men and women can respond differently to medications. But many medical treatments are still based on studies that mostly included men. This new study shows why it is important to think about gender when deciding on treatment, especially for common conditions like high blood pressure.
There are some possible reasons why women might face higher risks. One idea is that hormone replacement therapy, which some women use during or after menopause, might interact with beta-blockers in a harmful way. However, more research is needed to fully understand this.
The researchers suggest that women with high blood pressure, especially those who have never had heart problems, might benefit from trying to manage their condition in other ways first.
This could include healthy eating, regular physical activity, reducing stress, and avoiding smoking. These lifestyle changes can help control blood pressure and reduce the need for medication.
This study is a reminder that one-size-fits-all treatments may not be the best option. Personalized healthcare—where doctors consider a person’s gender, age, and other factors—could lead to better and safer outcomes.
The study was led by Professor Raffaele Bugiardini and published in the journal Hypertension. It adds to growing research showing the need for more gender-specific medical studies and treatment plans that suit the individual patient.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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