Phases in woman’s life when she is most prone to hypertension

Hypertension can affect women in almost all phases of their life cycle (Shutterstock)

Hypertension is defined as a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure, increasing the pumping function of the heart and leading to hardening of the vessels.

“There are two types of hypertension; primary and secondary. Primary has no identifiable cause and tends to affect most adults and develops gradually over many years. Secondary hypertension is caused by an underlying condition and appears suddenly,” explains Bernard Gitura, a cardiologist at Upper Hill Cardiovascular Centre.