Women who have experienced miscarriages or stillbirths are more likely to face a stroke, also known as a brain attack, said a new study.
People suffer from a stroke when blood flow to the brain stops, caused by a blocked artery or burst blood vessel.
The chance of risking a stroke increases with every miscarriage and stillbirth, The Indian Express reported.
In total, there were 618,851 women who participated in eight individual studies across America, England, Sweden, Netherlands, Japan, China, and Australia. All women were aged between 32 and 73 and were observed for an average period of 11 years.
The study found that women who had previously experienced stillbirth had a 31% higher risk of non-fatal strokes and a 7% increase in risking fatal strokes. The study also found that the more stillbirths experienced, the risk of strokes would increase.
For example, a woman who had experienced two or more stillbirths had a 26% higher risk of fatal strokes, compared to the original 7% for a woman who had experienced a single stillbirth.
Similarly, women who had a history of a miscarriage were 11% more likely to risk non-fatal stroke and 17% more likely to a fatal one. Again, the risk increases with each miscarriage, so women who had three or more miscarriages have a 35% increased risk for a non-fatal stroke.
This study is the first to compare links between stroke subtypes: stillbirths to fatal and non-fatal strokes; whereas miscarriages are linked to both subtypes.
