High blood pressure is the most common condition for which women in the United States seek treatment. In 2006, approximately 25 million U.S. women, most of them older than 45, were treated for high blood pressure.
The data — from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s News and Numbers — includes treatment in doctors’ offices and hospital outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, hospitals and by home health care providers.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a diet high in sodium — or salt — increases the risk for higher blood pressure. Healthy blood pressure can be maintained through lifestyle changes that include maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in moderate physical activity on most days of the week, eating healthy foods that are low in salt, not smoking and taking prescribed medications as directed. People who drink alcoholic beverages should do so in moderation.
The statistical analysis — based on data from AHRQ's Medical Expenditure Panel Survey— found that the other most common diseases for which women sought treatment in 2006 by age group included hyperlipidemia, or fat build up in the blood, for which 7.1 million women age 65 and older sought treatment; osteoarthritis, for which 5.9 million women sought treatment; heart disease, for which 5.7 million women sought treatment; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, which brought 5.5 million to health facilities for medical treatment.