Women who have had the uterus removed are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems, even if their ovaries are preserved, according to a study published Wednesday in the medical journal Menopause.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (northern United States) observed more than 2,000 women who underwent surgery. In particular, the preservation of the ovaries avoids early menopause.
Compared with residents in this region who did not have this type of ablation, older patients had a significantly higher risk of having high levels of bad cholesterol , high blood pressure , obesity and arrhythmia. heart disease and coronary artery disease, the researchers note.
Twenty years after this intervention, the risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease was respectively 13% and 33% higher.
Higher risk for young women
For women under 35 years of age, it was even higher, with a multiplication up to 4.6 times for heart failure and 2.5 times for coronary heart disease, hardening and narrowing of the arteries, compared to those who have not been operated on.
” This is the most comprehensive data available to date showing that hysterectomy carries a risk of long-term cardiovascular disease , even though both ovaries have been preserved, ” says Shannon Laughlin-Tommaso, a gynecologist at Mayo Clinic. .
Low risk in the long term
” Hysterectomy is the second most common gynecologic surgery and, in most cases, it is performed for benign medical reasons, with the majority of doctors thinking that long-term risks are low, ” she adds. .
Approximately 400,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the United States, most commonly for painful uterine fibroids, menstrual cycle disorders, or uterine prolapse.
In cases of uterine cancer or genetic predispositions to this tumor, doctors can remove the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
Removal of the ovaries increases the risk of early mortality
Ovaries are now preserved to the extent possible since studies have shown that their removal can increase the risk of chronic disease and early mortality.
But the consequences of preserving the ovaries during a hysterectomy had not been examined before.
