The risk of cardiovascular disease in women with a history of miscarriage and/or stillbirth

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Apart from the well-established risk factors, some adverse pregnancy outcomes have been found to be associated with increased risk of CVD in women. We reviewed the literature on the risk of CVD in women with a history of pregnancy loss (miscarriage and/or stillbirth). Electronic databases including MEDLINE and CINAHL were searched for English language articles published from 2000 to July 2016. Following the application of study inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected seven studies for review. Women with history of miscarriage and/or stillbirth are more likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD), but not stroke in their later life compared with women without these conditions. The risk is particularly greater in women with multiple miscarriages or stillbirths. Health professionals should be aware of the risk associated with miscarriage and stillbirth, and use maternal history to identify, refer, closely monitor, and engage these high risk women in healthy lifestyle and risk factor modification programs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.