Effect of Gender on your Blood Pressure (Men vs Women)

Men have comparatively higher blood pressure compared to women. However this trend continues only till menopause in women. After menopause both men and women share the similar chances of developing high blood pressure and diseases related to it. But for a major part of life women have lower chances of developing hypertension. Researches were done to know more about this gender difference in blood pressure.

The body of men and women are very different in terms of metabolism and hormones. In some researches it was found that blood pressure of women remain 6-7% less during both physical activity and mental stress. There are several reasons behind this higher BP in men. Some of the known reasons are described below.

• Stroke Volume: It is the amount of blood pumped by left ventricle of our heart. Women have lower stroke volume (SV) compared to men, which is a major reason behind comparative lower blood pressure in women.
• Peripheral Resistance: It is resistance produced by arteries against the blood flow. This resistance must be overcome by force of blood to keep it flowing. When we are at some mental stress, the peripheral resistance increases automatically. Women have comparative lower peripheral resistance even during high stress level, which let their blood pressure remain low compared to men.
• Intra-abdominal fat: It is the fat content in the abdominal region. Men ten to have more intra abdominal fat compared to women. This type of fat can be present in men irrespective of the obesity, as it is the fat content between the internal organs of abdomen. This type of fat content is directly related to BP level. Thus it is one of the reasons for higher blood pressure in men.
• Dyslipidemia: It is the abnormal amount of triglycerides, cholesterol and/or fat phospholipids in the blood stream. Dyslipidemia is more common in men compared to women, which may also lead to higher blood pressure.
• Smoking and Drinking Habits: In most of the societies men are more inclined towards habit of smoking and drinking, which directly affect the blood pressure.

Apart from the above mentioned reasons, some researchers believe that difference between male and female hormones is also responsible for difference in blood pressure levels. The overall conclusion is that women can keep their blood pressure low without much effort. You may also conclude from it that women don't loose control of their mind as easily as men do and it might be one of the reasons behind comparatively cooler nature of women.