A recent study, published on January 5 in JAMA Network Open, suggests that a history of infertility in women may indicate their heart health in midlife.
Conducted by Amy R. Nichols, Ph.D., R.D., and her team from Harvard University, the study focused on the relationship between infertility history and cardiovascular health (CVH) around the age of 50.
The study followed 468 participants for approximately 18 years, all of whom had given birth. It found that those with a history of infertility had lower scores in several areas related to heart health.
Specifically, the overall American Heart Association Life’s Essential 8 score, which measures CVH in both behavior and biology, was about 2.94 points lower for women with a history of infertility.
In terms of biomedical health, their score was lower by 4.07 points, and their blood health score was down by 5.98 points. There was also a slight decrease in scores for behaviors affecting heart health.
The study’s findings indicate a clear link between infertility history and reduced heart health in later life. The authors emphasize the importance of considering a woman’s fertility history when assessing her risk for heart-related issues.
This could mean starting heart health monitoring and preventive strategies earlier for women who have experienced infertility.
The research underlines the value of looking at a woman’s reproductive history as part of her overall health assessment. It also highlights the need for ongoing preventive measures to protect heart health, especially for those who have struggled with infertility.
This study adds to the growing body of evidence that women’s reproductive health can have long-term implications for other aspects of their health, including cardiovascular well-being.
Understanding this connection can help healthcare providers offer better, more personalized care and advice to women as they age.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that vitamin K helps cut heart disease risk by a third, and a year of exercise reversed worrisome heart failure.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about supplements that could help prevent heart disease, stroke, and results showing this food ingredient may strongly increase heart disease death risk.
The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
Copyright © 2024 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
