Pregnancy Issues May Indicate Early Heart Risk
Researchers at McGill University have developed a new predictive model to identify heart disease risk in younger women by incorporating factors like pregnancy complications. The tool aims to fill gaps in existing cardiovascular assessments that were primarily designed for older populations.
Why it matters
Early identification of cardiovascular risk factors in women could significantly reduce long-term mortality rates through proactive lifestyle interventions.
McGill University researchers have developed a new tool to identify heart disease risk in women earlier in life.
Findings from a study published in JACC: Advances highlight gaps in existing approaches.
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet existing risk tools were developed in older populations and ignore factors unique to women," said senior author Robert Platt, Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health and Director of the School of Population and Global Health.
While pregnancy complications are known to be linked to future heart risk, there has been no way to identify which younger women are most at risk, he added.
Using health data from more than 260,000 women in the UK aged 15 to 45 who had given birth, researchers developed and validated a prediction model to estimate future heart disease risk. Participants were followed for nearly four years after delivery.
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