Physical Wellness

Multiple Live Births Linked to Heart Disease in Latinas

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Nov 17, 2014 06:11 PM EST

Mothers who've given birth to more children are more likely to develop heart disease, according to a study on Hispanic women.

The latest study involved 855 Hispanic women 45 years and older participating in the Echocardiographic Study of Latinos, a population study in Chicago, Miami, San Diego and the Bronx, New York.

Researchers noted that 12.2 percent of Hispanic women had six or more live births and 4.7 percent had no live births.

After analyzing the study data, researchers found that Hispanic women with five or more successful births were significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those with no or fewer births.

The study also revealed that 85 percent of women with five or more live births were more likely to suffer left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, which could lead to an abnormal relaxation phase of the heart.

The study also revealed that 61 percent to 63 percent of women with two to four live births had diastolic dysfunction, and 51 percent of those with no birth developed diastolic dysfunction.

"Further studies are needed to determine the functional changes that occur and their harmful consequences on diastolic function and whether these changes translate into heart failure," lead study author Shivani Aggarwal, M.B.B.S., said in a news release.

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014

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