There’s a Link Between Women’s Reproductive Health And Heart Disease Doctors Say We’re Missing

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Medical professionals are increasingly recognizing that women’s reproductive health serves as a critical indicator of cardiovascular risk. A comprehensive review published in the journal Maturitas highlights the overlooked connections between gynecological conditions and heart disease, the leading cause of death for women globally. Researchers argue that gynecologists are uniquely positioned to identify early warning signs of cardiovascular problems through routine reproductive health screenings.

Several reproductive factors signal elevated heart disease risk years before cardiac events occur. Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes correlate with future cardiovascular disease. Additionally, conditions including polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, and early menopause demonstrate strong associations with heart attack and stroke risk. Women experiencing migraine with aura face doubled stroke risk, while those entering menopause before age 45 show significantly higher cardiovascular vulnerability.

Three French healthcare programs demonstrate the benefits of integrating cardiac and gynecological care. A Paris hospital found that 58 percent of women receiving cardiovascular assessments during gynecological visits either received new diagnoses of major risk factors or required treatment adjustments. Similarly, a Toulouse menopause clinic determined that 70 percent of over 1,000 patients aged 45 to 60 had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. The Women’s Heart Bus, which traveled across France screening thousands, discovered that 90 percent of participants had multiple cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors, yet over 70 percent lacked cardiac follow-up care.

These findings suggest that combining reproductive and cardiovascular screenings could detect health risks earlier and improve outcomes for women across the lifespan.

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Originally reported by Sciencealert →