Failed fertility treatments are linked to higher heart risks

Women who undergo fertility therapy, but do not get pregnant, have a higher risk of developing long-term cardiovascular disease, compared with women who become pregnant, according to a new study published in Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The study analyzed data from 28,442 women under the age of 50 who underwent fertility treatments in Ontario between 1993 and 2011.Each of the women was examined till March 2015, with nearly one-third of the participants giving birth within one year of their final fertility treatment. The scientists found that those who didn’t give birth had a 19 percent increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events including heart failure seen later in life. Regardless, these results should not dissuade a woman from pursuing fertility treatment, given the low risk of a heart attack, stroke or heart failure. In fact, it is an opportunity to have a discussion with your fertility doctors and with your general practitioner about your risk factors for heart disease and to consider treatment of those risk factors if they’re identified. Having to endure fertility treatments without becoming pregnant, afterward can be emotionally devastating for a woman. For women who are concerned, it is best to evaluate cardiovascular disease risks before fertility therapy.
The higher risk is thought to come from the gonadotropin hormone injections that stimulate the ovaries to produce more than one egg per month. Overstimulated ovaries have been shown to secrete hormones that may damage the heart by increasing the chance of blood clots and an increase the blood pressure.
Yet, the absolute increased cardiovascular risk was relatively modest; just about ten events per 1,000 women after ten years (up from six events per 1,000 women for those who became pregnant and had a child after undergoing fertility treatment).It could be that, fertility treatments simply involve women who already have underlying health problems. In fact, those health problems might be the reason why they can't get pregnant.
Nevertheless, it can be stressed that whether the heart problems are due to the fertility treatment or just an association, the link is still important. Having fertility treatment is a very important choice for many women, and for many women it's the right choice. But it's something they should consider carefully, including the potential side-effects and potential long-term risks.
Ref:
1. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/316305.php
The article has been contributed by:
Dr. Niraj Raghani, M.B.B.S, M.D (Med), D.M. (Cardiology), AFSCAI (USA), Consultant Interventional cardiologist (Adult and Paediatric), Director in Zenith Hospital, Amravati
E-mail: drnirajraghani@yahoo.co.in
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