Women with high blood pressure more likely to have high cholesterol levels

A woman getting her blood pressure checked by a doctor.
Photo credit monkeybusinessimages/Getty Images

KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. 

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Roughly one-half of the 35 million people with high blood pressure are women, and according to the American Heart Association, women have certain characteristics that can be concerning.

Compared with men, women with high blood pressure are more likely to be obese and have high cholesterol levels. they are also less likely than men to receive medications such as aspirin, blood pressure-lowering drugs, or cholesterol-lowering drugs. 

Heart disease is the number one killer of women — an estimated 480,000 women die of cardiovascular disease every single year.