Hispanic women who have five or more successful births may have a significantly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those with no or fewer births, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
Researchers analyzed 855 Hispanic women 45 years and older who were enrolled in Echo-SOL (Echocardiographic Study of Latinos), a population study in Chicago, Miami, San Diego and the Bronx, New York. Of the 855, 12.2 percent had six or more live births and 4.7 percent had no live births.
Researchers found:
"Further studies are needed to determine the functional changes that occur and their harmful consequences on diastolic function and whether these changes translate into heart failure," said Shivani Aggarwal, M.B.B.S., lead author of the study.
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Shivani Aggarwal, M.B.B.S., Department of Cardiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina
Note: Actual presentation is 4:45 p.m. CT/5:45 p.m. ET, Nov. 17, 2014.
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