New research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has shown that partners in heterosexual relationships around the world appear to have concordant blood pressure. If one partner has hypertension, the other partner is more likely to have it as well.
The cross-sectional study used data from participants in the U.S., China, India, and England and included over 33,000 couples. “Concordant hypertension” was defined as both the man and woman in a relationship having hypertension (high blood pressure). The prevalence of concordant hypertension in each country was 38% in the U.S., 21% in China, 20% in India, and 47% in England. If the man in a relationship had hypertension, the woman in that relationship was 9% more likely to have hypertension in the U.S. and England, 19% more likely to have hypertension in India, and 26% more likely to have it in China compared to women whose partner did not have hypertension.
One of the authors noted that hypertension is more common in the U.S. and England than in China or India, but the association between couples’ blood pressure was stronger in India and China. This may be because India and China have more collectivist societies in which couples are expected to depend on each other more, so their health may be more intertwined. The results of the study across countries suggest that couple-based approaches may be useful for treating and diagnosing blood pressure. If one partner has hypertension, it may be useful to screen the other partner for hypertension as well. Hypertension is an important risk factor for heart disease that can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes if left untreated. Lifestyle changes and medications can treat hypertension and help lower the risk of developing heart disease.
Sources: JAHA, Science Daily
