Miscarriages and stillbirths might be a marker for women at higher risk of developing heart disease later in life, an observational study suggested. Coronary heart disease risk was 27% higher for women who had a history of stillbirth compared with none (multivariate adjusted odds ratio 1.27, 95% CI 1.07-1.51), Donna R. Parker, ScD, of Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket, and colleagues found.
That risk was a significant 18% to 19% elevated among women with one or two prior miscarriages compared with none in an analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) observational cohort appearing in the July/August issue of theAnnals of Family Medicine. "Women with a history of one or more stillbirths or one or more miscarriages appear to be at increased risk of future cardiovascular disease and should be considered candidates for closer surveillance and/or early intervention," they…
