Hypertension is assumed to be more prevalent in the male population. However, experts suggest that it affects both the genders equally.

A recent study published in the Journal of Hypertension indicates that there is a direct association between social ties and risk of hypertension in women. The longitudinal study including more than 28,000 people between the ages of 45 and 85 years found that women with a small social circle and limited social participation (less than two social activities in a month) are more likely to get hypertension than women who had better or more social interactions. Hypertension risk was also found to be higher in widowed women than married women.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is assumed to be more prevalent in the male population. However, experts suggest that it affects both the genders equally. In fact, after a certain age, women are more prone to the condition than men and the former have several very unique risk factors for high blood pressure both in the pre and post-menopausal age.

Unique risk factors

According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is not directly related to gender. However, pregnancy, menopause and use of birth control pills are some unique factors that put women at a higher risk of hypertension.

Research suggests that women who smoke, have a genetic predisposition to hypertension or are overweight are highly likely to have high blood pressure on regular use of birth control pills.

Similarly, pregnant women often experience high blood pressure. If you have had a history of hypertension, you may have to consult your doctor before trying to conceive since high blood pressure can harm both the baby and the mother.

Gestational hypertension develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy; you may develop this type of hypertension even if you never had the condition before. And then there is pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication wherein the woman has high blood pressure and limb swelling and protein in urine. Pre-eclampsia can be life-threatening for the mother and preterm delivery is the only way to resolve it.

Finally, after menopause, when the estrogen levels drop, a woman’s chances of developing hypertension increases significantly. Studies suggest that a combination of various factors including individual genetics, body mass index (BMI) and increased sympathetic nervous system activity are responsible for this spike in risk. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the flight and fight response. It increases blood pressure, decreases intestinal motility and accelerates heart rate.

Difference in symptoms

As per the European Society of Cardiology, hypertensive women experience more arterial stiffness, atrial fibrillation and heart failure in older age than hypertensive men. Since they have a smaller diameter of arteries, aneurysms in women rupture at a much smaller size than in men.

Hypertension is said to be a silent killer. Usually, it does not show any symptoms unless there is organ damage. However, in some young and middle-aged women, the condition can also be symptomatic. Such women report some of the following symptoms:

• Headache
• Blurred vision
• A feeling that the bra is too tight
• Chest pain due to stress or continuous pain in chest that often travels up the shoulder and left arm or jaw
• Hot flushes
• Excessive sweating day and night
• Sleep disturbance
• Tiredness

A lot of these symptoms are associated with stress or menopause. Experts suggest that if you notice these symptoms, it is best to consult a doctor, especially if you have a family history of hypertension.

For more information, read our article on High blood pressure.

Health articles on News18 are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

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A teenager suspended from a UK school after insisting there are “only two genders” has revealed he spoke out in protest at the “dangerous” views being forced on to pupils.

The 17-year-old sparked an international debate about transgender rights and free speech after a secretly filmed video clip of him being reprimanded by his teacher went viral.

He was thrown out of class after arguing that only two genders exist – male and female – a position which his teacher claimed was ‘not inclusive’.

The schoolboy has now been told he will be suspended for three weeks following the clash during a personal and social education lesson at his secondary school in Aberdeenshire.

According to friends, the boy spoke out to let people know what is going on in the education system.

One told The Mail on Sunday: “He decided to film the teacher because he wanted to show what was going on in schools today for simply stating there are only two genders.

“He has nothing against anyone who identifies as LGBTQ, but completely disagrees that there are more than two genders and that it’s a social construct.

“He believes telling kids that boys are girls and girls are boys is a very dangerous thing and wanted to get his views across to the teacher.

“His view is that scientifically there are only two genders. This new gender theory that there are unlimited genders is something that should be discussed and debated – not just thrown into a class discussion and if you disagree you get kicked out of the room.”

The incident took place when the teacher logged on to a website and found only male or female gender types listed as options, which he claimed was “old fashioned”.

When the schoolboy disagreed, he was ejected from the class. After being allowed back, he secretly filmed the teacher. In the video, which has been watched on YouTube more than 90,000 times, the teacher can be heard telling the pupil: “You’re entitled to your opinion.”

During an exchange, the pupil says: “I think it’s silly to have anything other than two genders, Sir.”

The teacher then urges: “Could you please keep that opinion to your own house? Not in this school.”

The three-minute clip triggered a furious debate online, with many saying the boy had been unfairly treated, while others insisted that the teacher was in the right. According to an education source, the boy was suspended for breaching school policy by secretly filming the teacher.

An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said the public sector has a legal duty to show “due regard” to certain “protected characteristics” – including age, sex and “gender reassignment”.

He added: “It is important to understand the context of any video clip taken without a person’s consent. In our schools, fostering good relations among different groups can be a real challenge but our aim is to support a fairer, inclusive environment for all.”

Earlier this month, London-based Pearson Edexcel exam board was accused of bowing to demands from transgender activists after swapping the word “sex” for “gender” in a UK GCSE biology paper.

Lincolnshire businessman and former police officer Harry Miller also found himself investigated by police for “hate crime” for “liking” a poem on Twitter questioning transgenderism.

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