Amidst the hope and promise of assisted reproduction, there exists a hidden health risk that demands attention. A recent study in the United States has uncovered a surprising and concerning link between fertility treatments, including the widely used In vitro fertilizations (IVF), and an increased risk of stroke among women.
As it is known, infertility carries a social burden and IVF has risen as a beacon of optimism, providing a lifeline for countless couples longing for the joys of parenthood. This groundbreaking procedure, involving fertilizations outside the female body and subsequent embryo implantation, has witnessed remarkable popularity globally, driven by technological advancements and heightened awareness.
Beyond merely tackling infertility, IVF has unlocked solutions to diverse medical challenges, redefining the narrative of childlessness and granting newfound avenues to parenthood.
Yet, beneath this facade of promise, a disconcerting revelation has surfaced. Researchers named Devika Sachdev, Rei Yamada, Rachel Lee, Mark Sauer and Cande Ananth from Rutgers University in New Jersey, United States, embarked on a study, examining a staggering 31 million pregnancies. Their recent study titled “Risk of Stroke Hospitalization After Infertility Treatment”, which was published by JAMA, showed nothing short of astounding: women who opted for fertility treatments, be it IVF or intrauterine insemination (IUI), faced a daunting 66 percent higher likelihood of experiencing a stroke within the first year following childbirth.
Alarmingly, expectant mothers who had undergone fertility treatments confronted a 66 per cent elevated risk, affecting eight out of every 100,000 pregnant individuals, of hospitalisation due to stroke within the initial year post-delivery. This heightened risk manifested prominently within the first 30 days after childbirth, underscoring the imperative need for vigilant monitoring.
“We found that infertility treatment was associated with an overall 66 per cent increased risk of stroke hospitalization. This risk was larger for hospitalisation for haemorrhagic stroke than ischaemic stroke. Additionally, the risk of hospitalisation from stroke, either haemorrhagic or ischaemic, generally increased with time post-delivery, but the risk was larger for haemorrhagic strokes,” the researchers say.
“Strikingly, the increase in risk was evident even as early as the first 30 days post-delivery, which highlights the need for early and continued follow-up in this population. Corrections for potential biases increased the magnitude of the association of infertility treatment with hospitalization for hemorrhagic stroke,” the study adds.
Further exploration into the wider realm of pregnancy-related strokes paints a grim picture: six percent of all pregnancy-related fatalities in the United States can be attributed to strokes. While the occurrence of post-pregnancy strokes leading to hospitalisation remains relatively uncommon, the numbers remain disquieting. Those who underwent fertility treatments experienced 37 hospitalisations per 100,000 individuals, as opposed to 29 hospitalizations per 100,000 for those who did not pursue such treatments.
Within the study’s ambit, researchers have proposed three plausible theories concerning the potential linkage between fertility treatments and an augmented risk of stroke. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to recognize that a more in-depth investigation into these conjectures is necessary and exceeds the current study’s scope.
The study’s analysis unravels multiple contributing factors that contribute to the escalated risk of stroke among women who underwent fertility treatments. These factors encompass maternal age, occurrences of multiple births, hospital classifications, and income levels. Collectively, these variables yield a staggering 66 percent increase in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke for women who sought fertility treatments.
“In this cohort study, infertility treatment was associated with an increased risk of stroke-related hospitalization within 12 months of delivery; this risk was evident as early as 30 days after delivery. Timely follow-up in the immediate days postpartum and continued long-term follow-up should be considered to mitigate stroke risk,” the study concludes.
