Cardiovasc Prev Pharmacother.  2022 Jan;4(1):34-41. 10.36011/cpp.2022.4.e2.

Association between reproductive aging and hypertension among Korean women

• Kim E
• Lee Y
• Kim HC

• KMID: 2536931
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.36011/cpp.2022.4.e2

Abstract

Background
Although postmenopausal women are well known to have a high prevalence of hypertension, it is unclear whether menopause itself increases blood pressure independently from the known risk factors of hypertension. This study sought to determine whether an association exists between reproductive aging, analyzed as a gradual transition, and an increased risk of hypertension among Korean women.
Methods
This cross-sectional study used baseline data from 5,456 women aged 30 to 64 years who participated in the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center study in Korea from 2013 to 2018. The participants’ stage of reproductive aging was assessed by a questionnaire and categorized as premenopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between menopausal status and hypertension after adjusting for age, education level, marital status, employment, household income, smoking, drinking, physical activity, body mass index, and hormone replacement therapy use.
Results
The prevalence of hypertension increased with reproductive aging: 9.8% in premenopause, 25.2% in perimenopause, and 27.7% in postmenopause. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for having hypertension was 1.70 (1.07–2.72) for perimenopausal women and 1.14 (0.88–1.48) for postmenopausal women, compared to premenopausal women.
Conclusions
Our study shows that perimenopausal women are at high risk of developing hypertension. Since the menopausal transition may last months or years, blood pressure monitoring and early interventions are crucial for not only postmenopausal women, but also those in the transition.

Keyword

Menopause; Perimenopause; Aging; Hypertension

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Association between stage of reproductive aging and hypertension. Model 1, adjusted for education level, marital status, employment, household income, smoking, drinking, physical activity, body mass index, and hormone replacement therapy use. Model 2, adjusted for age in addition to all covariates used in model 1. (A) Total hypertension, (B) systolic hypertension, (C) diastolic hypertension, and (D) treated hypertension.

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  Fig. 2. Association between years after menopause and hypertension. The risk of hypertension was adjusted for education level, marital status, employment, household income, smoking, drinking, physical activity, body mass index, and hormone replacement therapy use, not age. (A) Total hypertension, (B) systolic hypertension, (C) diastolic hypertension, and (D) treated hypertension.

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