BLOOD CANCER

 

Women have a lot on their plates, and sometimes important self-care can take a back seat to work, family and other obligations.In fact, nearly 50% of adult women have high blood pressure, and nearly three-quarters of those with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can significantly increase a woman’s risk for a stroke, but a few important steps can help reduce that risk and give women (and their loved ones) one less thing to worry about."High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke and we know that 1 in 5 women will have a stroke and stroke kills more women than breast cancer," according to Dr. Monik Jiménez, a volunteer with the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health."While high blood pressure isn’t directly linked to gender, different health issues throughout a woman’s life, such as birth control, pregnancy, and menopause, can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, which can increase the risk of stroke if left uncontrolled," according to Jiménez.Doctors and researchers have found a link between birth control pills and an increase in blood pressure among some women. They say that it is more likely to occur in women who are already overweight, have kidney disease or have a family history of high blood pressure.