Hypertension (AHA) / Framingham: Menopause Timing and Pressure Pulsatility

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: Hypertension (American Heart Association) / Framingham Heart Study · Published: September 18, 2026 · Accessed: September 18, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• Pulse pressure is the gap between the upper (systolic) and lower (diastolic) numbers in a blood pressure reading, and it is influenced by the stiffness and width of the aorta.
• In the Framingham Heart Study analysis (N=6760 unique participants across 3 visits spanning 14 years), pulse pressure reached its lowest point and changed from a falling to a rising profile about a decade earlier in women than in men: late 30s in women versus late 40s in men.
• Whether menopause (date of last menstrual period) occurred early, late or at a typical time had no influence on the age at which women reached their lowest pulse pressure, which occurred up to two decades before the onset of menopause.
• Pulse pressure increased with age in both women and men after midlife, and the increase was faster in women, producing average pulse pressure higher in women than men after age 60.
• Wide pulse pressure is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular conditions, dementia and kidney disease, and is currently not included in clinical guidelines for managing blood pressure.
• Senior author Gary F. Mitchell, M.D.: 'women and their doctors should sound the alarm if pulse pressure is higher than 60 mm Hg [such as 130/70 mm Hg] and track it over time to see if pulse pressure is rising.'