Blood Pressure and Women - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

Do you know your blood pressure and do you take those numbers seriously? A new study suggests every 10 points makes a big difference, especially if you're a woman.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital have been studying the top blood pressure number, the systolic reading, and they've found that for every 10 points that number climbs over 130, so does her risk for heart attack by 9% each time.

Researchers came to this conclusion after following more than 5,000 women who already had one heart attack or had been diagnosed with heart disease. Researchers say the study findings should encourage women who have heart disease to keep their blood pressure in check.

The study was conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and is published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.