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Menstrual Disturbances in Women With Congenital Heart Diseases
Zahra Khajali1, Soheila Ziaei1, Majid Maleki1
1Adult Congenital Heart Disease Department, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Insights
Women with congenital heart disease (CHD) experience common menstrual abnormalities, including later menarche and more frequent menorrhagia, especially in complex cases. Awareness of these menstrual issues is crucial for affected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gynecology
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Women with congenital heart disease (CHD) may face menstrual disturbances due to hemodynamic changes during menstruation.
- These disturbances can impact their quality of life and reproductive health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate menstrual bleeding patterns in adult women with CHD.
- To explore the relationship between menstrual abnormalities and clinical findings in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 304 adult women (≥15 years) with CHD was studied.
- Clinical data and menstrual patterns were recorded between March and September 2014.
- Patients with syndromic congenital anomalies were excluded.
Main Results:
- Menarche was delayed in women with CHD compared to the general population, and earlier in simple vs. complex CHD groups.
- The most common abnormality was menorrhagia (14.5% simple, 20.5% complex).
- Menorrhagia correlated significantly with increased oxygen desaturation (P=0.007).
Conclusions:
- Menstrual abnormalities are prevalent in women with congenital heart disease.
- Increased awareness of menstrual function and potential abnormalities is recommended for these patients.
Background:
Women with congenital heart disease (CHD) may experience menstrual disturbances secondary to hemodynamic instability during the mensturation phase.
Objectives:
We investigated the menstrual bleeding pattern and its relationship with certain clinical findings in adult women with CHD.
Patients And Methods:
Clinical data and menstrual bleeding pattern of adult women ≥15 years old who were referred to adult CHD clinic between March and September 2014 were recorded. Patients with syndromic congenital anomalies were excluded.
Results:
Data of 304 women (151 and 153 with simple and complex CHD groups, respectively) were recorded. Their mean (SD) age was 25.2 (1) years (range, 15 - 46 years). The median (IQR) age at menarche was 13 (12 - 14.25) years. Menarche was later in patients with CHD than in the normal population. Furthermore, the simple group showed earlier menarche than the complex group. The most common menstrual abnormality was menorrhagia in both groups (14.5% and 20.5% in the simple and complex groups, respectively). The incidence of menstrual abnormality was higher, though not significantly, in the complex group (40% vs. 25% in the simple group; P = 0.2). Menorrhagia was associated with the severity of oxygen desaturation (P = 0.007).
Conclusions:
Menstrual abnormalities are common in women with CHD, and therefore this group of patients should be aware of the menstrual function and its abnormalities.
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