Link Between Increased Chronic Health Risks And Hysterectomy

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic have conducted a study that suggests an association between hysterectomy with ovarian conservation and the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and also with metabolic conditions as published in Menopause.

The Rochester Epidemiology Project was used to identify 2094 women participants involved in this study. Upon the date of having their hysterectomy performed all of the participants were 18 years of age or older. Participant involved in the study were individually age matched with another woman in the same county on the index date having no history of a hysterectomy or any ovarian removal surgeries performed.

The findings of the analysis were able to identify prior metabolic and cardiovascular conditions existing before having surgery and focused only on the new onset of disease post hysterectomy surgery that developed in the women.

Results of this study identified within the women in the age group of 35 years old a 4.6 times increased risk of congestive heart failure and an 2.5 times increased risk of coronary artery disease. The results also showed an increase of 33% increased risk of coronary artery disease, 18% increased risk of obesity, 14% risk of lipid abnormalities, 13% risk of high blood pressure in women who had surgery to perform hysterectomy with ovarian conservation.

Hysterectomy is the second most common gynecologic surgery, it is undertaken under the influence of benign reasonings that this choice is supposed to have reduced chronic health risks. After analyzing this study Dr. Laughlin suggests that women should look into nonsurgical alternative treatments for fibroids, prolapse, and endometriosis, which are the leading causes of hysterectomy.