Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 30, 2025
In Vivo and Ex Vivo Approaches to Study Ovarian Cancer Metastatic Colonization of Milky Spot Structures in Peritoneal Adipose
Published on: October 14, 2015
Risk of cardiovascular disease among women carrying BRCA mutations after risk-reducing bilateral
Helena Abreu do Valle1, Paramdeep Kaur1, Janice S Kwon1
1Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Division of Gynaecologic Oncology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Objective:
Examine the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) following risk reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRBSO) among women with BRCA mutations.
Methods:
In this retrospective population-based study in British Columbia, Canada, between 1996 and 2017, we compared the risk of CVD among women with known BRCA mutations who underwent RRBSO before the age of 50 (n = 360) with two groups of age-matched women without known BRCA mutations: 1) women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy (BO) for benign conditions (n = 3600); and, 2) women with intact ovaries who had hysterectomy or salpingectomy (n = 3600). Our primary outcome was CVD (a composite (any of) myocardial infarction, heart failure, and/or cerebrovascular disease). Secondary outcomes included a diagnostic code for predisposing conditions (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes mellitus), and use of cardioprotective medications (statins and/or beta-blockers).
Results:
We report no significant increased risk for CVD between women with BRCA mutations and women who underwent BO (aHR = 1.08, 95%CI: 0.72-1.62), but women with BRCA mutations were less likely to be diagnosed with predisposing conditions (aHR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.55-0.85). Compared to women without BRCA mutations with intact ovaries who underwent hysterectomy or salpingectomy, women with BRCA mutations had significantly increased risk for CVD (aHR = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.18-2.79) and were less likely to be diagnosed with predisposing conditions (aHR = 0.78, 95%CI: 0.62-0.97) and to fill cardioprotective medications (aHR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.64-1.22).
Conclusion:
Our results suggest an opportunity for improved prevention of CVD in women with BRCA mutations after prophylactic oophorectomy. Despite the observed lower prevalence of predisposing conditions for CVD and lesser use of cardioprotective medications, this population did not have a lower rate of CVD.
More Related Videos
08:15gDNA Enrichment by a Transposase-based Technology for NGS Analysis of the Whole Sequence of BRCA1, BRCA2, and 9 Genes Involved in DNA Damage Repair
Published on: October 6, 2014
08:53Identifying the Effects of BRCA1 Mutations on Homologous Recombination using Cells that Express Endogenous Wild-type BRCA1
Published on: February 17, 2011
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
01:24Disorders of the Female Reproductive System
02:07Oogenesis
01:12Relative Risk
01:30Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...