Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Long-Term Health Impacts of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection on Offspring
Published on: May 17, 2024
Infertility treatment is associated with increased risk of postpartum hospitalization due to heart disease
Rei Yamada1, Devika Sachdev1, Rachel Lee1,2
1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
Insights
Infertility treatment is linked to a higher risk of postpartum heart disease, particularly hypertensive conditions. Women undergoing fertility treatments require vigilant postpartum cardiac monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Reproductive Medicine
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease poses a significant risk to maternal mortality.
- The connection between infertility treatments and subsequent heart disease is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infertility treatment and the incidence of postpartum heart disease.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study analyzed data from US deliveries between 2010-2018.
- Heart disease hospitalization within 12 months postpartum was the primary outcome.
- Cox regression models were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios, controlling for confounders.
Main Results:
- Infertility treatment was associated with a nearly twofold increased risk of postpartum heart disease hospitalization (adjusted HR 1.99).
- Hypertensive disease showed the most substantial risk increase (adjusted HR 2.16).
- Elevated risk was observed as early as 30 days postpartum and increased over the first year.
Conclusions:
- Infertility treatment is associated with an elevated risk of postpartum heart disease, especially hypertensive conditions.
- The findings underscore the necessity for enhanced postpartum surveillance in women who have undergone infertility treatment.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of maternal mortality, but the extent to which infertility treatment is implicated in heart disease remains unclear.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between infertility treatment and postpartum heart disease.
Methods:
We designed a retrospective cohort study of patients who delivered in the United States between 2010 and 2018. The primary outcome was hospitalization within 12-month post-delivery due to heart disease (including ischemic heart disease, atherosclerotic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, hypertensive disease, heart failure, and cardiac dysrhythmias). We estimated the rate difference (RD) of hospitalizations among patients who conceived with infertility treatment and those who conceived spontaneously. Associations were expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), derived from Cox proportional hazards regression after adjustment for potential confounders.
Results:
Infertility treatment was recorded in 0.9% (n = 287,813) of 31,339,991 deliveries. Rates of heart disease hospitalizations with infertility treatment and with spontaneous conception were 550 and 355 per 100,000, respectively (RD 195, 95% CI: 143-247; adjusted HR 1.99, 95% CI: 1.80-2.20). The most important increase in risk was observed for hypertensive disease (adjusted HR 2.16, 95% CI: 1.92-2.42). This increased risk was apparent as early as 30-day post-delivery (HR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.39-1.86), with progressively increasing risk up to a year.
Conclusions:
Although the absolute risk of postpartum heart disease hospitalization is low, infertility treatment is associated with an increased risk, especially for hypertensive disease. These findings highlight the importance of timely postpartum follow-ups in patients who received infertility treatment.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:28Infertility in Females
Endometriosis, a condition characterized by abnormal growth of...
01:23Infertility in Males
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
01:26Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send...
01:24In Vitro Fertilization
The IVF process begins with ovarian stimulation, during which reproductive endocrinologists prescribe hormonal medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the single...
02:07Oogenesis