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No link observed between fertility treatment, long-term CVD risk
Fertility treatment is not associated with increased risk for long-term CVD, according to results from a Canadian population-based cohort analysis.
Potential linkage between fertility treatment and long-term CVD has been a topic of interest because more women are delaying pregnancy until older age, and fertility medications can increase risk for maternal metabolic syndromes, Jacob A. Udell, MD, MPH, FRCPC, and colleagues wrote in the study background.
Using a provincial health insurance database, researchers analyzed women who gave birth in Ontario, Canada, from July 1993 to March 2010. Of the 1,186,753 women who gave birth during the study period, 6,979 had received fertility treatment at some point in the 2 years before delivery.
The primary outcome was a composite of CV death, nonfatal coronary ischemia, stroke, transient ischemic attack, thromboembolism and HF. Median follow-up period was 9.7 years.
Udell and colleagues found that women who underwent fertility treatment had fewer CV events than those who did not receive treatment (103 vs. 117 events per 100,000 person-years; unadjusted HR=0.96; 95% CI, 0.72-1.29; adjusted HR=0.55; 95% CI, 0.41-0.74). This remained consistent across all age and income groups.
After adjusting for risk, the researchers also found that women who received fertility treatment had lower rates of all-cause mortality, thromboembolic events, subsequent depression, alcoholism and self-harm (P<.01 for each) compared with those who did not receive treatment.
“Our findings are encouraging, but further research is necessary to explain the full impact of fertility therapy on women’s health,” Udell, a cardiologist at Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, said in a press release. “With a better understanding of the long-term health effects associated with fertility therapy, we can help inform decision making and reduce potential health risks to women.”
The researchers noted several study limitations, including a focus only on women who had a first pregnancy of at least 20 weeks’ gestation and a lack of accounting for factors such as smoking, education and BMI.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.