Category: Cardiology
Posted: 2/2/2014 by Semhar Tewelde, MD
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Myocardial Infarction in Women After Childbirth
World Health Organization reports that obesity is the 5th leading cause of global death with the highest impact on women <65 years of age
The association of obesity and cardiovascular risk in young women is currently being researched
A recent nationwide cohort looking at obesity and future cardiovascular risk looked at Danish women giving birth (2004-2009) and followed them a median time of 4.5 years
This study grouped women via pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)
1. Underweight (BMI <18.5)
2. Normal weight (BMI <25)
3. Overweight (BMI <30)
4. Obese (BMI >30)
Data revealed that healthy women of fertile age, pre-pregnancy obesity alone was associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction in the years after childbirth
Schmiegelow M, Andersson C, Kober L, et al. Prepregnancy Obesity and Associations With Stroke and Myocardial Infarction in Women in the Years After Childbirth. Circulation 2014;129:330-337.