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The following is a summary of “Associations between hysterectomy and metabolic syndrome: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis,” published in the October 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology by Broni et al.    

Metabolic syndrome is linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk. Hysterectomy, even without ovary removal, may also contribute to this risk.  

Researchers conducted a prospective study examining the association between hysterectomy with ovarian preservation and metabolic syndrome risk.  

They studied 3,367 female participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who provided self-reported data on hysterectomy, oophorectomy, hystero-oophorectomy, and metabolic syndrome at baseline (2000–2002). Adjusted logistic regression assessed cross-sectional associations, and adjusted Cox regression models evaluated incident metabolic syndrome in 1,355 participants free of baseline metabolic syndrome over a median follow-up of 10.5 years (3.01–17.62).  

The results showed that the mean age was 59.0 years (±9.5), with 42% White, 27% Black, 19% Hispanic, and 13% Chinese American. Among the cohort, 29% had a history of hysterectomy, and 22% had a history of oophorectomy. Over the follow-up, there were 750 metabolic syndrome events. Hysterectomy (HR, 1.32 [95% CI, 1.01–1.73]) and hystero-oophorectomy (HR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.13–1.74]) were significantly associated with incident metabolic syndrome compared to those without either procedure.  

They concluded that hysterectomy, even with ovarian preservation, may independently increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, suggesting a need for further screening and preventive strategies.  

Source: ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)00561-1/abstract