Background: There are limited data on sex difference in patients with hypertensive crisis. We investigated sex differences in characteristics and long-term mortality in patients with hypertensive crisis visiting the emergency department (ED). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study at a tertiary referral center included patients ≥18 years of age who were admitted to the ED between 2016 and 2019 with hypertensive crisis, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥180 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mmHg. Results: Among the 6,467 patients who visited the ED with hypertensive crisis, 3,131(48.4%) were women. Women were older and less likely to have acute hypertension-mediated organ damage than men. The 3-year all-cause mortality did not differ between women and men (16.9% in women and 17.2% in men, p = 0.738). After adjusting for age and comorbidities, the 3-year all-cause mortality was significantly higher in men than in women (hazard ratio [HR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.29; p = 0.031). In particular, among patients ≥50 years of age, the 3-year all-cause mortality was significantly higher in men than in women (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01-1.29; p = 0.038); however, it was not different according to sex among patients 18-49 years of age. Moreover, the 3-year all-cause mortality was significantly higher in men than in women among patients with hypertensive urgency (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.34-1.90; p < 0.001), which was reversed in patients with hypertensive emergency (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.84; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Men ≥50 years of age with hypertensive crisis, men with hypertensive urgencies, and women with hypertensive emergencies have a high risk of all-cause mortality. Thus, it is necessary to consider sex differences when predicting subsequent prognosis and determining the appropriate treatment for patients with hypertensive crisis.
Keywords: blood pressure; hypertensive crisis; mortality; sex differences.