Miscarriage 'raises heart risk'

[Elmore Furth]

There are both viral and immunologic etiologies postulated in the pathogenesis of both atherosclerosis and miscarriage so it it not surprising in retrospect that there might be some correlation between the two processes.

Immune and Inflammatory Mechanisms of Atherosclerosis

Viruses in the etiology of atherosclerosis

Cause of Miscarriage

The German study, published in the journal Heart, found that women who had more than three miscarriages had a five-fold increase in risk.

They looked at the pregnancy history of those who had suffered heart attacks, and compared this to the rate of miscarriages in the other women.

They found that one in four of the women in the study reported having a miscarriage - although this number could be higher because some women become pregnant then miscarry without realising what has happened.

When other factors linked to heart problems - such as weight, alcohol consumption and smoking - were accounted for, having three or more miscarriages increased the risk of heart attacks by more than 500%.

Miscarriage 'raises heart risk'

[uppityperson]

1. Correlation does not equal causation. If you have multiple miscarriages, may indicate problem later

"Professor Gordon Smith, from Cambridge University, said that other studies had pointed to an increase in heart disease risk among women who had pregnancy complications, which included pre-eclampsia, and premature birth alongside miscarriage.

However, he said that the reasons why were still not fully understood, with some evidence suggesting that it was not an effect of having miscarriages.

He said: "It is possible that there is some common predisposing risk factor for both miscarriage and heart disease. During pregnancy, it is manifested by increased risk of miscarriage, and later in life, it manifests itself as an increase in heart disease risk.

"Perhaps this involves an increased propensity to blood clotting - but the honest answer is that we don't yet know.""