Women's Health

Is a "normal" blood pressure reading too high for women?

By , Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
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Study shows sex differences may affect health risks related to blood pressure, but more information is needed to confirm the results.

This study only shows an association between elevated cardiovascular risk at lower blood pressures in women compared with men. Whether a woman actually benefits from actively reducing her already "normal" blood pressure to even lower levels remains unanswered as of now, says Dr. Randall Zusman director of the Division of Hypertension at the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center.

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About the Author

photo of Kelly Bilodeau

Kelly Bilodeau, Former Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Kelly Bilodeau is the former executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later went on to become a managing editor at HCPro, a Boston-area healthcare publishing company, … See Full Bio
View all posts by Kelly Bilodeau
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