Study: Infertility treatment doubles the risk of heart disease after childbirth

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American Rutgers Health experts revealed that infertility treatment may expose women to the risk of hospitalization due to heart disease in the year following childbirth.

The study, which included data on more than 31 million patients discharged from hospital after giving birth from 2010 to 2018, found that women who experienced infertility were particularly likely to be hospitalized with dangerous high blood pressure.

Most of the high risks came in the first month after giving birth, especially for women who developed dangerously high blood pressure.

“These findings are not the only ones that suggest that follow-up should be done early,” said Kandi Ananth, MD, chair of epidemiology in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Rutgers. “We have been involved in a series of studies over the past few years that have found a higher risk of developing diseases.” Heart and stroke rates for different patient groups at risk during the first 30 days after birth.

“Postpartum checkups are essential for all patients, but this study suggests that checkups are especially important for women undergoing infertility treatment,” said Rei Yamada, MD, an obstetrician-gynecology resident at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The study authors say their findings support standards of care that call for an initial examination 3 weeks after birth.

Experts explained that the reason behind the increased risk of heart disease associated with infertility treatment is unclear. It can be caused by infertility treatments themselves, underlying medical problems that make patients infertile or any other reason.

The study was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.