Blood Pressure and Gender
Chapter 31: Respiratory and Circulatory Systems

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a contributing factor for cardiovascular disease. An average adult's blood pressure is 120/80. However, any blood pressure that is less than 140/90 is considered normal. Although some risk factors, such as a healthful diet, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight, are controllable, others, such as your age and gender are not controllable. Study the table and then answer the following questions.

Age	Male	Female
20-34	8.6	3.4
35-44	20.9	12.7
45-54	34.1	25.1
55-64	42.9	44.2
65-74	57.3	60.8
75+	64.2	77.3

Analyze the Table

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1. What is the relationship between age and high blood pressure?
2. Describe the trend among females.
3. Describe the trend among males.
4. What might account for the differences among males and females?

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