Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with health bodies on treatment options for women with high blood pressure.

No recent meetings on that specific topic have been held. NHS England and NHS Improvement are focusing on the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for both men and women, with a commitment to earlier detection and treatment of risk factors monitored by the introduction of a national CVD prevention audit. NHS England and NHS Improvement have advised that treatment options for women with hypertension are generally the same as for men with the condition, apart from specific situations such as hypertension in pregnancy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has guidelines on hypertension diagnosis and treatment, including in relation to women. NG136 (hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management, August 2019) covers the identification and treatment of primary hypertension in people aged 18 and over, and includes a specific recommendation for the offer of antihypertensive drug treatment to women of childbearing potential with diagnosed hypertension. NG136 aims to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems by helping healthcare professionals to diagnose hypertension accurately and treat it effectively.

NG133 (hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management, June 2019) covers the diagnosis and management of hypertension, including pre-eclampsia, during pregnancy, labour and birth, and includes advice for women with hypertension who wish to conceive and women who have had a pregnancy complicated by hypertension. NG133 aims to improve care during pregnancy, labour and birth for women and their babies.

The NHS Health Check helps eligible people aged 40-74 to reduce their future risk of having a heart attack or stroke and includes a test for blood pressure. Research shows that women are more likely to have an NHS Health Check, with over 3.4 million women having a check between April 2012 and March 2018.