A comprehensive evaluation of woman-specific risk factors in relation to incident heart failure (HF) is limited.
The study sought to investigate the association of multiple female reproductive factors with the risk of HF.
Between 2007 and 2010, 229,026 women (mean age: 56.5 years) without prevalent HF from the UK Biobank cohort were included and followed until December 2020. The relation between (self-reported) reproductive factors and HF was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for potential confounding.
Menarche at age 4 children (HR: 1.24 [95% CI: 1.05-1.47]) was associated with higher HF risk. Experiencing miscarriages or abortions was not significantly associated with incident HF, whereas experiencing 1 stillbirth and recurrent stillbirths conferred a 20% and 43% larger risk of HF, respectively, compared to no stillbirth.
The findings emphasize the importance of female reproductive history in the assessment of HF risk.
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