Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparison of the sex-specific associations between systolic blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 124 cohort studies, including 1.2 million individuals.
Conflicting results have been reported on whether the association between increments in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiovascular disease differs between men and women. We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis to compare reliably sex-specific associations between SBP and cardiovascular risk. ⋯ Elevated levels of SBP are a major risk factor for stroke and ischemic heart diseases in both women and men. This study unequivocally demonstrates the broadly similar impact of SBP increments on cardiovascular outcomes in both sexes.