Women leading the fight against hypertension.
Hypertension affects one in three adults globally, yet it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, especially in women. With new research highlighting gender-specific risks, the urgency to move from awareness to action have been clearer. More than just patients, women are emerging as powerful advocates, healthcare leaders, and changemakers in the fight against this silent but deadly condition.
A GENEDERED RISK PROFILE:
Recent findings from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) emphasize that women experience different patterns of hypertension compared to men. Postmenopausal women, for example, are more likely to develop isolated systolic hypertension, which significantly increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
More than 60% of women over 65 live with high blood pressure, often without clear symptoms.
Pregnancy-related complications are another red flag. Women with a history of preeclampsia are 2.2 times more likely to develop chronic hypertension later in life. Alarmingly, the same research noted that only 30% of these women receive long-term cardiovascular follow-ups, pointing to a dangerous gap in care.
THE AWARENESS GAP:
Hypertension symptoms in women can be subtle — fatigue, anxiety, or neck pain — and are often misattributed to emotional stress or hormonal changes. Americas revealed that women were 20% less likely than men to be prescribed antihypertensive medication after an initial diagnosis, even when their blood pressure readings were identical.
WOMEN AS CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE:
Despite these challenges, women around the world are driving community-level solutions. In Kenya, the AMPATH (Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare) initiative to conduct door-to-door blood pressure screenings and deliver education heart-healthy habits.
Similar program in South Asia have seen women local “hypertension clubs,” offering peer support, dietary planning, and links to clinics.
At the technological frontier, apps like Hello Heart and Blood Pressure Companion are helping women monitor their health independently. Women who used these apps alongside remote coaching saw a significant drop in systolic blood pressure over a 6 month period compared to those in traditional care.
TOWARD A PREVENTIVE CULTURE:
Empowering women with accurate information and practical tools can have a multiplier effect. Households where women were educated on cardiovascular risk factors showed increased adoption of heart-healthy diets and regular physical activity.
The fight against hypertension is not just medical — it’s societal, economic, and deeply personal. And at the center of this transformation are women: informed, empowered, and unafraid to take charge. From community campaigns to digital health innovations, they are turning awareness into action, and action into impact.
