It probably comes as no surprise that middle-age women with high blood pressure (hypertension) have twice the risk of acute cardiac syndromes — such as heart attack and unstable angina — as women with healthy blood pressure. (110/75 is a good target.)

But did you know that according to a study in the journal Fertility and Sterility women with untreated hypertension are at 18% greater risk of developing uterine fibroids? And middle-age women who have newly developed hypertension see their risk skyrocket 45%.

What are fibroids and why are they associated with high blood pressure?

Fibroids are a noncancerous growth of muscle tissue in the lining of the uterus (and sometimes outside the uterus). Up to 80% of women develop fibroids, and around 25% have noticeable symptoms.

Those women may contend with heavy periods and severe pain, and according to Bingham and Women's Hospital each year up to 200,000 U.S. women need a hysterectomy to resolve the problems fibroids cause.

The connection with hypertension may come from a combination of inflammation and the role of an enzyme and a hormone associated with high blood pressure in both cell proliferation and fibrosis.

The good news is that you can reduce your risk of developing fibroids. The study says women with high blood pressure who use antihypertensive medications have a 37% lower risk for newly diagnosed uterine fibroids, and women using ACE inhibitors — a kind of antihypertensive med — have a 48% lower risk than women with high blood pressure who don't take the medication.

Get your blood pressure checked and take action to control it with the medications and lifestyle changes outlined at LongevityPlaybook.com.