Females withpolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)are at higher risk of hypertension. Referred to as “the silent killer” for its mostly absent warning signs, hypertension (high blood pressure) is not to be taken lightly.
Data obtained from the Dallas Heart Study showed that people with PCOS had a higher prevalence of high blood pressure, regardless of race or ethnicity.
If not controlled, high blood pressure can damage blood vessels and organs.Complications of high blood pressureinclude vision problems, kidney damage, heart attack, or stroke.Knowing and reducing your risk factors can help you minimize your risk.
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Risk Factors
There are many risk factors for high blood pressure.
These include:
Measuring Blood Pressure
If the measurement reads 110 systolic and 70 diastolic, it would be described as “110 over 70” or written as “110/70 mmHg.”
Diagnosing Hypertension
Your blood pressure is defined as normal or high.
Here are the cutoff levels, according to the Center for Disease Control:
Normal:
Elevated:
Hypertension stage 1:
Hypertension stage 2:
Blood pressure readings higher than 180/120 may be considered a hypertensive crisis, requiring medical treatment.If your blood pressure reading is that high and you have symptoms such as headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, or chest pain, seek emergency medical treatment.
Prevention
Preventing high blood pressure starts with living a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining your weight, following a healthy diet, and exercising routinely are all actions that you can take now to reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure.
Treatment
Quitting smoking if you smoke, losing weight, limiting alcohol, and increasing exercise are lifestyle changes that can help lower your blood pressure.And, what you eat can affect your blood pressure.
Eat Less Salt
Most Americans eat way more sodium than what’s recommended. Americans should be eating no more than 1,500 mg a day (that’s just a little over half a teaspoon of salt!), according to the American Heart Association.It’s not unusual for a restaurant meal to contain a day’s worth of sodium.
Besides eating out, the main sources of sodium are prepared meals, frozen meals, canned foods, and of course, using the salt shaker. Reading food labels and cooking more meals at home so that you control the amount of salt that’s added to your food can make a difference.
Add More Fruits and Vegetables
Yes, there really is a reason to eat your fruits and vegetables: they help lower blood pressure.Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which work to counteract the effects of high sodium in our bodies.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet is proof that fruits and vegetables help to reduce blood pressure in PCOS. In one study, people with PCOS who followed the DASH diet saw significant improvements to their blood pressure, as well as abdominal fat loss.Significant improvements in insulin resistance and inflammation markers were also shown.
The DASH diet recommends 4 to 5 servings each day of both fruits and vegetables.
Why the DASH Diet Is Good for PCOS
Emphasizes Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes
The DASH diet is plant-based, with an emphasis on including 4 to 5 servings a week of a variety of nuts, seeds, and legumes (lentils and peas). These foods provide a good source of fiber, and they contain magnesium and potassium to lower blood pressure.
Get Enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish, nuts, avocados, and olive oil, have a blood pressure-lowering effect.A study published in theJournal of the American Heart Associationin 2022 analyzed previous studies to determine the optimal intake of omega-3 fatty acids is between 2 and 3 grams per day. A higher intake may benefit people at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
Medications to Treat High Blood Pressure
If diet and lifestyle interventions are not effective, or if you are still having high blood pressure, your physician can prescribe anti-hypertensive medications to help you control it.
Many different types of medications can be used, including diuretics, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, or beta-blockers.
Diuretics
Diuretics cause your body to excrete excess salt and water, helping to lower blood pressure. Spironolactone, for example, is a potassium-sparing diuretic commonly prescribed for people with PCOS. Not only can spironolactone lower blood pressure, but it can also help with the unwanted symptoms of hirsutism, such as excessive hair growth.
Another common type of diuretic used to treat hypertension includes thiazide diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide.
Beta Blockers
ACE Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors relax your blood vessels so your heart doesn’t have to work so hard to pump blood through narrow vessels.
Calcium Channel Blockers
A Word From Verywell
Because you usually can’t feelsymptoms of high blood pressure, it’s important that you follow up with your medical provider for regular checkups throughout the year if you have PCOS. Discuss home blood pressure monitoring with them as this may be a helpful tool for you to monitor your blood pressure is over time, not just at office visits.Using lifestyle strategies can help to prevent and treat high blood pressure.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.The facts about high blood pressure.Chang AY, Oshiro J, Ayers C, Auchus RJ.Influence of race/ethnicity on cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome, the Dallas Heart Study.Clin Endocrinol (Oxf).2016;85(1):92-9. doi:10.1111/cen.12986American Heart Association.Health threats from high blood pressure.American Heart Association.Know your risk factors for high blood pressure.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measure your blood pressure.MedlinePlus.How to prevent high blood pressure.American Heart Association.How to manage high blood pressure.American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.Asemi Z, Esmaillzadeh A.DASH Diet, Insulin Resistance, and Serum hs-CRP in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.Horm Metab Res.2015;47(3):232-8. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1376990Zhang X, Ritonja JA, Zhou N, Chen BE, Li X.Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and blood pressure: a dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(11):e025071. doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.025071American Heart Association.Types of blood pressure medications.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.The facts about high blood pressure.Chang AY, Oshiro J, Ayers C, Auchus RJ.Influence of race/ethnicity on cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome, the Dallas Heart Study.Clin Endocrinol (Oxf).2016;85(1):92-9. doi:10.1111/cen.12986American Heart Association.Health threats from high blood pressure.American Heart Association.Know your risk factors for high blood pressure.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measure your blood pressure.MedlinePlus.How to prevent high blood pressure.American Heart Association.How to manage high blood pressure.American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.Asemi Z, Esmaillzadeh A.DASH Diet, Insulin Resistance, and Serum hs-CRP in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.Horm Metab Res.2015;47(3):232-8. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1376990Zhang X, Ritonja JA, Zhou N, Chen BE, Li X.Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and blood pressure: a dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(11):e025071. doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.025071American Heart Association.Types of blood pressure medications.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.The facts about high blood pressure.Chang AY, Oshiro J, Ayers C, Auchus RJ.Influence of race/ethnicity on cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome, the Dallas Heart Study.Clin Endocrinol (Oxf).2016;85(1):92-9. doi:10.1111/cen.12986American Heart Association.Health threats from high blood pressure.American Heart Association.Know your risk factors for high blood pressure.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measure your blood pressure.MedlinePlus.How to prevent high blood pressure.American Heart Association.How to manage high blood pressure.American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.Asemi Z, Esmaillzadeh A.DASH Diet, Insulin Resistance, and Serum hs-CRP in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.Horm Metab Res.2015;47(3):232-8. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1376990Zhang X, Ritonja JA, Zhou N, Chen BE, Li X.Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and blood pressure: a dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(11):e025071. doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.025071American Heart Association.Types of blood pressure medications.
American Heart Association.The facts about high blood pressure.
Chang AY, Oshiro J, Ayers C, Auchus RJ.Influence of race/ethnicity on cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome, the Dallas Heart Study.Clin Endocrinol (Oxf).2016;85(1):92-9. doi:10.1111/cen.12986
American Heart Association.Health threats from high blood pressure.
American Heart Association.Know your risk factors for high blood pressure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measure your blood pressure.
MedlinePlus.How to prevent high blood pressure.
American Heart Association.How to manage high blood pressure.
American Heart Association.Get the scoop on sodium and salt.
Asemi Z, Esmaillzadeh A.DASH Diet, Insulin Resistance, and Serum hs-CRP in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.Horm Metab Res.2015;47(3):232-8. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1376990
Zhang X, Ritonja JA, Zhou N, Chen BE, Li X.Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and blood pressure: a dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Am Heart Assoc. 2022;11(11):e025071. doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.025071
American Heart Association.Types of blood pressure medications.
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