In what it is said to be the largest of its kind study, a revelation has been made about infertility treatment and the risk of a serious disease called stroke in women.
A new study published in JAMA Network has found that women who became pregnant after infertility treatment were more likely to have a stroke. The study found that the risk of stroke is more likely to increase in the year following the birth and women who conceive naturally have lesser risk of the disease.
Stroke cases account for 7% pregnancy deaths in the US
For the study, the researchers followed a total of 31,339,991 pregnant women between 2010 and 2018. They were compared with those who did not have any infertility treatment. "Those who received infertility treatment had an increased risk of stroke hospitalization within 12 months of delivery, with the risk of hospitalization for hemorrhagic stroke being substantially greater than that for ischemic stroke," the researchers found and recommend "optimal screening for risk and timely follow-up" to mitigate the risk factors.
The findings of the study are relevant as stroke cases account for 7% of pregnancy-related deaths in the US.
This study adds to the list of several such studies that have worked on finding the potential link between stroke and pregnancy. "Pregnancy is like a stress test; it can strain the heart and blood vessels. This is partly because the body carries more weight during pregnancy, but changing hormones also play a role," the US CDC says.
The common problems that increase the risk of stroke in women during pregnancy are high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and blood clots.
One of the best ways to get treated in such a case is to identify the symptoms of stroke during pregnancy like sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or limbs; sudden confusion, trouble in speaking, vision difficulty, trouble walking, loss of balance, lack of coordination, and unexplainable severe headache.
