Routine blood pressure measurement in women with uterine fibroids
In a recent article, Lumsden et al [1] reviewed uterine fibroids, and detailed on the clinical management of women with this condition. However, an important association was omitted, with high blood pressure [2].
Increasing evidence shows that uterine fibroids are associated with hypertension, with an odds ratio around 2.5 [2-4]. This association is probably due to a shared pathophysiology of increased proliferation of vascular and uterine smooth muscle, and is independent of ancestry, age, and body mass index [2]. Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular death, and up to 25% of the women with hypertension are unaware of their condition [5]. The hypertension prevalence in women is about 28% [2, 5]. However, the prevalence exceeds 40% in women with uterine fibroids [2].
Therefore, we suggest that blood pressure measurement should be part of the care of all patients, but particularly of women with fibroids.
References
1. Lumsden MA, Hamoodi I, Gupta J, Hickey M. Fibroids: diagnosis and management. BMJ. 2015;351:h4887.
2. Haan YC, Oudman I, de Lange ME, Timmermans A, Ankum WM, van Montfrans GA, et al. Hypertension risk in Dutch women with symptomatic uterine fibroids. Am J Hypertens. 2015;28(4):487-92.
3. Faerstein E, Szklo M, Rosenshein NB. Risk factors for uterine leiomyoma: a practice-based case-control study. II. Atherogenic risk factors and potential sources of uterine irritation. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;153(1):11-9.
4. Haan Y, De Lange ME, Suhooli HJM, Ankum WM, Timmermans TA, Limpens J, et al. The association between hypertension and uterine fibroids: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Hypertension. 2015;33:e274.
5. Falaschetti E, Mindell J, Knott C, Poulter N. Hypertension management in England: a serial cross-sectional study from 1994 to 2011. Lancet. 2014;383(9932):1912-9.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
02 November 2015
Yentl C. Haan
Physician
Deborah L. Horjus, Lizzy M. Brewster
Department of Vascular Medicine, Academic Medical Centre
Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Rapid Response:
Routine blood pressure measurement in women with uterine fibroids
In a recent article, Lumsden et al [1] reviewed uterine fibroids, and detailed on the clinical management of women with this condition. However, an important association was omitted, with high blood pressure [2].
Increasing evidence shows that uterine fibroids are associated with hypertension, with an odds ratio around 2.5 [2-4]. This association is probably due to a shared pathophysiology of increased proliferation of vascular and uterine smooth muscle, and is independent of ancestry, age, and body mass index [2]. Hypertension is the main risk factor for cardiovascular death, and up to 25% of the women with hypertension are unaware of their condition [5]. The hypertension prevalence in women is about 28% [2, 5]. However, the prevalence exceeds 40% in women with uterine fibroids [2].
Therefore, we suggest that blood pressure measurement should be part of the care of all patients, but particularly of women with fibroids.
References
1. Lumsden MA, Hamoodi I, Gupta J, Hickey M. Fibroids: diagnosis and management. BMJ. 2015;351:h4887.
2. Haan YC, Oudman I, de Lange ME, Timmermans A, Ankum WM, van Montfrans GA, et al. Hypertension risk in Dutch women with symptomatic uterine fibroids. Am J Hypertens. 2015;28(4):487-92.
3. Faerstein E, Szklo M, Rosenshein NB. Risk factors for uterine leiomyoma: a practice-based case-control study. II. Atherogenic risk factors and potential sources of uterine irritation. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;153(1):11-9.
4. Haan Y, De Lange ME, Suhooli HJM, Ankum WM, Timmermans TA, Limpens J, et al. The association between hypertension and uterine fibroids: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Hypertension. 2015;33:e274.
5. Falaschetti E, Mindell J, Knott C, Poulter N. Hypertension management in England: a serial cross-sectional study from 1994 to 2011. Lancet. 2014;383(9932):1912-9.
Competing interests: No competing interests