OBJECTIVETo analyze the associations between menopause and hypertension/isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) among rural females in Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, China.

METHODSIn this cross-sectional study, 3030 residents were selected by stratified random sampling and investigated by questionnaire survey and physical examinations. Data of the females were analyzed to explore the impact of menopause on blood pressure by quantile regression and to investigate the associations between menopause and hypertension, ISH, and isolated distolic hypertension (IDH) by logistic regression.

RESULTSThe number of premenopausal and postmenopausal women was 965 and 998. The average age was (41.0 ± 8.07) years in the premenopausal group and (58.0±7.12) years in the postmenopausal group (P<0.001). The prevalence of hypertension among the premenopausal group and postmenopausal group was 21.9% and 49.3%, respectively. Quantiles regression analysis showed that the impact of menopause on systolic blood pressure increased as the percentile increased. The diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the premenopausal group was significantly lower than that in the postmenopausal at q ≥ 0.40(DBP = 84 mmHg,1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) percentile points (P<0.05), while the difference was not significant at q≤ 0.30 (DBP=80 mmHg) percentile points(P>0.05). After the potential confounders including age, education level, marriage, occupational, hyperlipidemia, family history, exercise, sleep, watching TV, smoking, passive smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, wealth index, waist circumference were controlled, positive associations were observed between menopause and hypertension/ISH in logistic regression models.

CONCLUSIONSMenopause is positively related with hypertension/ISH. More effective interventions should be taken to prevent hypertension and ISH among rural women.