Should women aged 20-40 take care of themselves? Study: History of "infertility" increases risk of heart failure by 27%
In the past, heart failure was thought to be related to factors such as aging, high-risk conditions, smoking, and excessive life pressure. Young people who often work overtime, socialize, and have abnormal schedules may also be at higher risk of high-risk conditions. Now, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) points out that women who have previously suffered from “infertility” may have a higher risk of heart failure than the general population.
Women with a history of infertility have a 27% increased risk of heart failure
Heart failure can be roughly divided into two categories based on the level of “ejection fraction”: heart failure with a higher ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with a lower ejection fraction (HFrEF). Heart failure in the former may be related to arrhythmia, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, special cardiomyopathy, etc.; in the latter, it is mostly chronic heart failure caused by coronary artery disease, or acute myocardial infarction that has not improved after treatment. .
A research team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the United States studied 38,528 postmenopausal women, 14% of whom had a history of infertility. After 15 years of randomized interviews, the study showed that infertility was associated with a 16% risk of heart failure, and that infertility may increase the risk of heart failure by 27%.
The research team found that there is indeed a correlation between infertility and heart failure, especially with the “HFpEF” type. The team pointed out that based on past clinical experience, HFpEF is indeed more common in women, while HFrEF is more common in men, regardless of their reproductive history.
Is infertility more “sad” than imagined? Experts call for inclusion in cardiovascular risk assessment
Study author Emily S. Lau commented on the study results: “Heart failure caused by infertility may be more difficult than imagined. Because the academic community still does not fully understand the cause of HFpEF, and there are currently no good enough treatments. Treating HFpEF.
Lau said that women’s reproductive status and cardiovascular problems have been raised in previous studies, but in this study, it is still unclear why more women suffer from HFpEF. She believes that women with infertility are more likely to have cardiometabolic risk factors, but they are not sufficient to explain the link between infertility and heart failure. Lau and the research team will further investigate whether other infertility-related phenomena, such as thyroid disease, irregular menstruation, menopause, etc., are related to related heart disease risks.
Lau pointed out that infertility has previously been shown to be a risk factor for many cardiovascular events, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc., but a woman’s reproductive history is often not included as part of cardiovascular risk assessment, possibly because of the prevalence of heart failure. It occurs in people over 60 years old, while infertility may occur between the ages of 20 and 40. Therefore, Lau calls on all major health units or medical institutions to include infertility into the risk consideration of heart failure.
“If you know that a woman has a history of infertility, you may be able to more proactively consult with her about related risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, etc.,” Lau said.
source:
Infertility and Risk of Heart Failure in the Women’s Health Initiative
Study finds infertility history linked with increased risk of heart failure
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