Hypertension in Bangladesh: women surpass men at younger ages than worldwide

TL;DR

In Bangladesh, women develop hypertension at younger ages than men, reversing global trends and highlighting the need for targeted health interventions.

Contribution

The study reveals that Bangladeshi women surpass men in hypertension prevalence by their early thirties, a trend not observed globally.

Findings

Women in Bangladesh have lower hypertension rates than men in their early twenties but higher rates in their early thirties.

Adjusted odds of hypertension in Bangladeshi women aged 35–39 are significantly higher than in men.

Early hypertension in women may contribute to combined chronic and reproductive health burdens.

Abstract

Worldwide, hypertension is more prevalent among men aged 30 and older, but a national survey from Bangladesh shows a different trend. This paper explores the differences in hypertension by sex and age among the Bangladeshi adult population throughout their life span.

We conducted the secondary analysis using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017–2018. This nationally representative survey involved a two-stage stratified sample of 675 households in urban (250) and rural (425) enumeration areas (EAs). The analytical sample comprised 12 476 individuals aged 18 or older (6955 women and 5521 men). We performed univariate and bivariate tests to investigate variations in hypertension across sex, age, and other factors. We applied multivariable logistic regression models and logit-based marginal probabilities to explore age and sex differences as well as their interactions in hypertension while estimating the marginal effects of sex for each age group to assess the significance of sex differentials in hypertension throughout the life course.

Our study revealed a noteworthy trend: Women have a hypertension prevalence that is five percentage points lower than that of men in their early twenties. However, this trend reverses in their early thirties, with women exhibiting a five-percentage point higher prevalence than men. After adjusting for confounders and age-sex interactions in women, the odds of hypertension were significantly higher (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.9–6.6) in the 35–39-year-old age group, which may contribute to a combined burden of chronic and reproductive morbidity.

With rising hypertension and stagnant maternal health in Bangladesh, women of reproductive age face higher risks of chronic and reproductive complications. The complex health system in Bangladesh, which starts at the community level, primarily focuses on maternal and child health; however, some recent initiatives show a shift in focus to address significant non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through public health facilities. Considering that more women seek health care from public facilities, recognising common factors contributing to early hypertension in Bangladeshi women enables targeted interventions, model testing, and strategic adjustments to the primary health care-focused national non-communicable disease management pathway.

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