Calhoun D A, Oparil S
Vascular Biology and Hypertension Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Int J Fertil Womens Med. 1997 May-Jun;42(3):198-205.
There is a sexual dimorphism in blood pressure of humans and experimental animals: males tend to have higher blood pressure than females with functional ovaries, while ovariectomy or menopause tends to abolish the sexual dimorphism and cause females to develop a "male" pattern of blood pressure. Hypertensive male laboratory animals tend to have NaCl-sensitive blood pressure, while females are NaCl resistant unless their ovaries are removed, in which case NaCl sensitivity appears. The hormonal basis of NaCl sensitivity of blood pressure and of the sexual dimorphism of hypertension remains to be defined. Synthetic estrogens and progestins, as found in oral contraceptives, tend to elevate blood pressure, while naturally occurring estrogens lower it, or have no effect. Hypertension increases cardiovascular risk in women, as well as men, although the benefits of antihypertensive treatment have been more difficult to demonstrate in women. In the population of the United States, women are more aware of their hypertension, more likely to be treated medically, and more likely to have their blood pressure controlled.
雄性的血压往往高于具有功能正常卵巢的雌性，而卵巢切除或绝经往往会消除这种性别差异，导致雌性出现“雄性”血压模式。患高血压的雄性实验动物往往对氯化钠敏感，而雌性则对氯化钠有抗性，除非切除卵巢，那样的话就会出现氯化钠敏感性。血压的氯化钠敏感性以及高血压性别差异的激素基础仍有待确定。口服避孕药中的合成雌激素和孕激素往往会使血压升高，而天然存在的雌激素则会降低血压或没有影响。高血压会增加女性以及男性的心血管风险，尽管抗高血压治疗的益处更难在女性身上得到证实。在美国人群中，女性对自己的高血压更了解，更有可能接受药物治疗，也更有可能使血压得到控制。
