Postmenopausal hypertension.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms responsible for postmenopausal hypertension have not been completely elucidated. However, various mechanisms have been implicated to play a role. For example, there is evidence that changes in estrogen/androgen ratios favoring increases in androgens, activation of the renin-angiotensin and endothelin systems, activation of the sympathetic nervous system, metabolic syndrome and obesity, inflammation, increased vasoconstrictor eicosanoids, and anxiety and depression may be important in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal hypertension. There is also evidence that hypertension is less well controlled in aging women than in aging men, but the reasons for this gender difference is not clear. Postmenopausal hypertension is likely multifactorial. Future studies will be necessary to determine the contribution of these systems listed above in mediating postmenopausal hypertension and to design treatment strategies that encompass these mechanisms to improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women as they age.