Normal Blood Pressure for Women
For starters, using the word “normal” to describe any medical condition is unwise at best and dangerous at worst. Asking what is the normal blood pressure for women is almost the same as asking what is the normal weight for a woman.
A number of factors have to be considered to determine what the normal blood pressure for a women should be. Age is one factor, weight is another, and whether they are pre or post-menopausal definitely has an effect. Other things to be considered are whether the woman in question is pregnant, or even nervous. The mere factor of visiting a doctor’s office for a medical examination can cause enough stress to raise an individual’s level above what would be considered normal blood pressure for women.
It would be equally true to say that, after having left the doctor’s office, or having removed herself from any other stressful situation, a woman’s blood pressure is almost certain to dip back to what would be considered her personal normal level. It has been suggested that, on more than one occasion, doctors have mistakenly prescribed blood pressure medication for women whose blood pressure was elevated during her examination, but which had returned to both normal and acceptable levels by the time she reached the parking lot.
In general terms, what would be considered the ideal normal blood pressure for women is the same as it is for men. That would be a reading of 120 over 80. However, the simple process of aging can cause blood vessels to lose elasticity. If they become weaker, which would be a quite natural result, then hypertension will result, causing blood pressure levels to rise. Again, this is not always the case. Any description of medical conditions has to be on a general, rather than specific basis.
The normal blood pressure for women after menopause is likely to have increased, by as much as 5 points on the top number, i.e. 125 over 80 as opposed to 120 over 80. Doctors believe this is caused by the natural decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels. On the other hand, pre-meonopausal women are more likely to have a lower blood pressure level than men. Those hormones they lose after menopause protect them from normal stress before menopause.
One condition almost certain to raise the normal blood pressure for women is something men don’t have to worry about experiencing. Pregnant women, and especially those carrying their first child, or multiple babies, frequently suffer from a condition known as preeclampsia. Doctors have yet to identify exactly what causes preeclampsia, which normally shows up after the fifth month. But it would not be unusual for a woman whose blood pressure is normally 120 over 80 to see those figures rise to something like 140 over 90 or higher. Other factors which doctors have pointed to as being possible causes of preeclampsia are having a new partner, heredity, being over 35 years of age, having had preeclampsia before (makes it more likely to recur), and already having high blood pressure prior to the pregnancy.
It used to be felt that the normal blood pressure for women could be easily measured as having the top (systolic) number equal to the woman’s age, plus 100. So a reading of 140 over 90 for a 40-year-old woman would have been considered normal not too many years ago. However, this formula has now been dismissed as too simplistic, as it has been recognised there are far too many factors to consider than merely a woman’s age. Even something as simple as the time of day can have a significant effect on blood pressure readings. Studies have shown that the body’s circadian rhythms will lead to the highest blood pressure reading will probably take place around noon, and the lowest at around 3 to 4 a.m. It is not unusual for a dip of as much as 20 points on the systolic reading, and 10 on the lower (diastolic) reading between the high and low periods of a single day. This is why doctors would hesitate to prescribe blood pressure medication without taking a number of readings from a single patient. Women whose blood pressure doesn’t go through this dipping stage are more likely to be suffering from abnormal sleeping conditions like sleep apnea or snoring. Non-dippers could also be suffering from alcohol or drug abuse problems.
The menstrual cycle can also have an effect on the normal blood pressure for women, but this is a somewhat controversial subject. Some women who monitor their own blood pressure at home have indicated that there is a sharp rise in the systolic reading a few days before their period begins, and that it slowly returns to normal within a day or two of the period starting. Other medical studies have indicated that blood pressure is more likely to be elevated during the follicular (middle) phase of the menstrual cycle. Regardless of when in the cycle it happens, it would appear that the menstrual cycle does have some effect on what would be considered normal blood pressure for women.
Women who are more than 30% heavier than their ideal body weight are far more likely to suffer higher than normal blood pressure. Losing weight will certainly assist in lowering blood pressure. Young women who suffer from high blood pressure but are not overweight could be suffering from kidney disease. Women who live in the West are more likely to suffer from higher than normal blood pressure than those in the rest of the world. And leading a very inactive lifestyle can not only lead to higher than normal blood pressure for women, but also to circulation problems and varicose veins.
If you have higher than normal blood pressure for women, there are many things that can help, including lifestyle changes, diet, supplements and medication. It is certainly a good idea to have your blood pressure monitored regularly, and inexpensive home-use monitors are widely available. Getting blood pressure checked at the doctor’s once a year is more or less useless. As pointed out above, so many factors, including the time of day or a nervous reaction to being examined by a doctor, can affect your blood pressure that several readings would need to be taken over a period of time to determine what your actual “normal” blood pressure reading is.
Certainly, blood pressure readings are easy to come by, and they can be excellent indicators of underlying medical conditions which may be serious and require treatment. But bear in mind that whatever normal blood pressure for women is, that doesn’t mean “normal” is the same for every woman. Quite the opposite is true.
