According to the American Heart Association, approximately 65 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure (hypertension). About half of those with high blood pressure are women. High blood pressure is classified as systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 or higher. Hypertension has been shown to be a risk factor for male sexual dysfunction. Now research reports that high blood pressure may also increase women's risk of sexual dysfunction. Female sexual dysfunction is a persistent decrease in sexual desire and sexual arousal, and difficulty in achieving an orgasm.
The study, presented at the May 16-20, 2006 annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New York City, investigated the association between blood pressure and the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women. Researchers at the University of Athens in Greece analyzed the blood pressure levels and treatment of 417 sexually active women, 31 to 60 years old. The researchers evaluated the participants' sexual dysfunction with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. The FSFI included questions about sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Researchers found that 42.1 percent of participants with high blood pressure had female sexual dysfunction, compared to 19.4 percent of participants with normal blood pressure. Furthermore, the women's risk of sexual dysfunction increased with age and duration of hypertension. Findings also revealed that participants who controlled their blood pressure with medication were less likely to experience sexual dysfunction. However, participants on hypertension medication who did not successfully control their blood pressure were more likely to have sexual dysfunction, compared with women not taking drugs.
"These findings are significant because although hypertension affects more than 20% of the general population, and is a known risk factor for male sexual dysfunction, there have been no definite data on a relation between sexual dysfunction and hypertension in women," says study author Michael Doumas, MD, of the University of Athens in Greece, in a WebMD interview. "Since female sexual dysfunction greatly affects patients and their sexual partner's quality of life, it seems of great importance to properly recognize and manage female sexual dysfunction in hypertensive women."
REFERENCES:
1. Doumas M et al. Study presented at: American Society of Hypertension 21st Annual Scientific Meeting; May 16-20, 2006; New York, NY.
2. Mann D. Blood Pressure and Women's Sex Drive. WebMD Medical News, May 19, 2006: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/122/114742.htm
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on September 7, 2006 02:49 PM
