New research has found a link between failure to conceive and cardiac disease.
For those who do manage to fall pregnant, the reward is glorious. But a new study is showing that those who don't manage to conceive are at risk of developing cardiac disease down the track.
"We found that two-thirds of women never became pregnant after being managed for fertility treatment and these women also had worse long-term cardiovascular risk, specifically higher risks of stroke and heart failure, compared with the remaining third of women who did become pregnant and delivered a baby," lead author of the study, scientist and cardiologist, Dr. Jacob Udell said.
The average age was 35 years, the women received an average of three treatments and 83 percent of them never had a baby.
Of the women studied, about one-third gave birth within a year of their final treatment, and two-thirds did not give birth.
"These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that fertility therapy may represent an early indication of future cardiovascular disease because it represents a unique cardiometabolic stress test," the authors wrote.
But it's important to note that the relationship between fertility therapy and heart disease is a complex one.
It may be possible that fertility treatments don't cause heart disease at all. Rather, the therapy could simply unmask an individual's predisposition to premature cardiovascular disease.
"We don't want to alarm women who undergo fertility therapy; we are instead suggesting that as women age, they should stay mindful of their health and remind their physician about any fertility therapy years earlier," he said.
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As if women undergoing fertility treatments don't have it hard enough. The process is gruelling and requires more strength, determination and emotional resilience than should ever be required of one person.
For those who do manage to fall pregnant, the reward is glorious. But a new study is showing that those who don't manage to conceive are at risk of developing cardiac disease down the track.
"We found that two-thirds of women never became pregnant after being managed for fertility treatment and these women also had worse long-term cardiovascular risk, specifically higher risks of stroke and heart failure, compared with the remaining third of women who did become pregnant and delivered a baby," lead author of the study, scientist and cardiologist, Dr. Jacob Udell said.
Discovering the long-term impacts of fertility therapy in women who do not conceive
The Canadian study comprised data from 28,442 women under 50 years old. All of the women underwent fertility therapy between 1993 and 2011 in Ontario. They were then followed until 2015 and monitored for signs of adverse cardiovascular effects.The average age was 35 years, the women received an average of three treatments and 83 percent of them never had a baby.
Of the women studied, about one-third gave birth within a year of their final treatment, and two-thirds did not give birth.
What they found
Women who did not conceive as a result of receiving fertility therapy were 19 percent more likely to suffer from some sort of adverse cardiovascular event, in particular, heart failure."These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that fertility therapy may represent an early indication of future cardiovascular disease because it represents a unique cardiometabolic stress test," the authors wrote.
But it's important to note that the relationship between fertility therapy and heart disease is a complex one.
It may be possible that fertility treatments don't cause heart disease at all. Rather, the therapy could simply unmask an individual's predisposition to premature cardiovascular disease.
The takeaway
Co-author of the study, Dr. Donald Redelmeier says that these findings should not be treated as a bad thing, rather as an opportunity to spot potential problems before they arise."We don't want to alarm women who undergo fertility therapy; we are instead suggesting that as women age, they should stay mindful of their health and remind their physician about any fertility therapy years earlier," he said.
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