TOPLINE:
METHODOLOGY:
- Risk of CVD rapidly increases after menopause, possibly owing to loss of protective effects of female sex hormones and hemorheologic changes.
- Results of previous studies of the association between hysterectomy and CVD were mixed.
- Using national health insurance data, this cohort study included 55,539 South Korean women (median age, 45 years) who underwent a hysterectomy and a propensity-matched group of women.
- The primary outcome was CVD, including myocardial infarction (MI), coronary artery revascularization, and stroke.
TAKEAWAY:
- During follow-up of just under 8 years, the hysterectomy group had an increased risk of CVD compared with the non-hysterectomy group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-1.44; P = .002)
- The incidence of MI and coronary revascularization was comparable between groups, but the risk of stroke was significantly higher among those who had had a hysterectomy (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.12-1.53; P < .001)
- This increase in risk was similar after excluding patients who also underwent adnexal surgery.
IN PRACTICE:
Early hysterectomy was linked to higher CVD risk, especially stroke, but since the CVD incidence wasn’t high, a change in clinical practice may not be needed, said the authors.
STUDY DETAILS:
The study was conducted by Jin-Sung Yuk, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea, and colleagues. It was published online June 12 in JAMA Network Open.
LIMITATIONS:
The study was retrospective and observational and used administrative databases that may be prone to inaccurate coding. The findings may not be generalizable outside Korea.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korea government. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.