HYPERTENSION DIGEST

Women with high blood pressure more likely to have sexual dysfunction

A study conducted in Greece found that 42% of women with hypertension have sexual dysfunction, compared to 19% of women with normal blood pressure, a 2-fold increase in risk for sexual dysfunction. Further, the rates of sexual dysfunction increased gradually in older versus younger women with hypertension, and the longer a woman had hypertension the more likely she was to experience sexual dysfunction.

Dr. Michael Doumas of the University of Athens reported the research at Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in May 2007. Caucasian women aged 31 to 60 years with (216 women) and without (201 women) hypertension who were sexually active completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. FSD was defined as an FSFI score of less than 25.5, according to the recently reported cut-off score.

Key findings in women with hypertension were:

• Sexual dysfunction was more frequent in treated versus untreated women with hypertension (47.8% vs 32.5%, respectively)
• Sexual dysfunction was significantly more common in women with uncontrolled hypertension (51.8%) versus 27.2% in women with controlled hypertension.
• Rates of sexual dysfunction increased with age: 21.2% in women aged 31-40 years; 37.7% in women aged 41-50 years; and 56.8% in women aged 51-60 years.
• Rates of sexual dysfunction increased with the duration of diabetes: < 3 years duration was 15.7%, 3-6 years was 32.9%, and > 6 years was 78.6%.

Doumas stated these study results are significant because of the lack of definitive data in women on the relation between hypertension and sexual dysfunction. In men, hypertension is a known risk factor for male sexual dysfunction. “Internists and general practitioners are in a unique position to properly recognize FSD and help women facing these intimate problems, since many women with chronic conditions exhibit sexual dysfunction. Quality of life is very important to overall health, thus it is of utmost importance for internists and general practitioners to become familiar with female sexual dysfunction and routinely address it with their hypertensive patients,” said Doumas.