Aim: We aimed to examine sex differences in blood pressure (BP) management and control among older Australians.
Methods: We analysed baseline data from the STAtins in Reducing Events in the Elderly (STAREE) trial, a randomized placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of atorvastatin on disability-free survival and major cardiovascular events in Australians aged ≥70 years without cardiovascular disease. Descriptive statistics were used to compare self-reported hypertension, measured BP, and BP-lowering medication use between men and women.
Results: Among 9,971 participants (52% women, mean±SD age 74.7±4.5years), women were more likely than men to report a history of hypertension (45% vs.42%,p=0.001). Women also had lower measured BP than men, both in those with and without a history of hypertension (137/80mmHg vs.140/82mmHg,p<0.001 and 131/78 vs.136/81mmHg,p<0.001, respectively). Among those with hypertension, a greater proportion of women than men achieved the target BP of <140/90mmHg (57% vs.47%,p<0.001). While the number of BP-lowering medications was similar between men and women(~65% taking one agent, ~20% taking two agents, and ~5% taking three or more agents,p=0.37), women were more likely to use β-adrenergic receptor blockers (14% vs.12%,p<0.001) and diuretics (9%vs.6%,p<0.001), and less likely to use angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (26% vs.32%,p<0.001) or other BP-lowering agents such as α-adrenergic receptor blockers (3% vs.6%,p<0.001).
Conclusions: Older women with hypertension had better BP control than older men, which may be related to physiological factors, differences in awareness, or variations in BP treatment patterns. Further work is required to understand the factors contributing to sex differences in hypertension management and control among older Australians.