| HEALTH STATUS - Morbidity |
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Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke. National survey data from 1995 indicated that males aged 64 and younger had slightly higher rates of hypertension than their female counterparts. However, hypertension was far more prevalent among older females than males. This pattern contrasts with that seen for other major conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, which are more prevalent among younger females than males but less prevalent in females among older populations.
Similar to the trends found in heart disease and diabetes, however, the rate of hypertension for both women and men increased from younger to older ages. In women, the rate of hypertension was seven times higher in persons aged 45-64 than among those under 45, and approximately 15 times higher in women 65 and older than those under 45 years.