Hysterectomy linked to cardiovascular disease

[Celebration]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7035GB20110104

Women who have their uterus removed for reasons other than cancer may be at a greater risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, suggests a large new study.

The risk appears to rise even higher for women who also have both ovaries removed. However, the Swedish researchers stop short of saying that taking out either the uterus or the ovaries can actually cause cardiovascular disease.

"Hysterectomy itself is a really safe procedure," senior researcher Dr. Daniel Altman of the Karolinska Institute told Reuters Health. "But some surgeries can be associated with risks that don't immediately show up, rather raising risks in the long term."

........................

After accounting for several factors that might explain differences in risk -- such as a woman's financial situation and the age at which her hysterectomy was performed -- the researchers found that a woman who underwent a hysterectomy before age 50 had a nearly 20 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to a similar woman who still had both her uterus and her ovaries.

[trotsky]

1. This can't be too surprising.

We already knew that women's risk of heart disease greatly increased after menopause. Female hormones (and some research indicates, regular loss of blood) may offer a protective effect against heart disease.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. That only applies if the ovaries are also removed

The risk is higher in that case, but this post says that study found the increased risk even when only the uterus is removed.

The article does say that removing just the uterus can affect blood flow to the ovaries, so that could be the connection.

My wife had her uterus removed (not the ovaries) when she was in her twenties. She's now in her sixties, and so far, there has been no evidence of any of those complications.

[wishlist]

3. Could be women who had hysterectomies were heavier with higher cholesterol

Wonder if study took into account factors such as the women's weight (BMI) and cholesterol levels before surgery to rule out possibility that the women who had hysterectomies were predisposed to heart problems due to weight or cholesterol.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Sex hormones certainly affect the risk of heart disease...

so it makes sense that early removal of the ovaries could increase the risk.

I believe that in general nowadays doctors are much less likely than in the past to advocate hysterectomy for benign conditions, unless symptoms are really intolerable. (E.g. I have fibroids, and would probably have had a hysterectomy if it were 30 years ago, but my doctor is very happy with just keeping an eye on them.)