Heart attack risk goes up by 41% in women who are stalked: Harvard study reveals new risk

What did the study find?

The study found that women who reported being stalked — especially those who went on to obtain restraining orders — were more likely to get heart attacks and strokes later in life. Women who reported stalking were 41 per cent more likely to get cardiovascular diseases as compared to those who did not. And the risk increased to 70 per cent in women who obtained restraining orders.

The researchers found the correlation the other way around as well. Women who had heart attacks or strokes as per their medical records were more likely to have experienced stalking in the past. The study found that nearly 12 per cent of the women had reported stalking, while 6 per cent had reported obtaining a restraining order.

“Stalking is often seen as a form of violence that does not involve physical contact, which may make it seem less serious. Stalking can be chronic, and women often report making significant changes in response such as moving,” said Rebecca B. Lawn, one of the authors of the study and a research associate in epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

This increased risk, the researchers note, could be because of psychological distress, which may disrupt the nervous system, proper blood vessel function and other biological processes. Stress damages blood vessel walls.

Why is this important?

This is extremely important because stalking is fairly common. Around one in three women are stalked at some point in their lives, according to data from the US Centres for Disease Control and prevention.

But, it is hardly ever looked at as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The researchers say that this was to understand the impact of factors beyond the traditional risk factors for cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. “Although violence against women is common, and evidence has linked violence with consequences for women’s later heart health, it is still not widely recognised or routinely considered by health care professionals as a potential cardiovascular risk factor among women,” said Lawn.

What are the other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases?

The traditional risk factors for heart attacks and strokes include hypertension and diabetes, habits such as smoking, a lack of physical activity and a family history. Emotional distress and depression are also known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. When it comes to women specifically, high blood pressure or diabetes developed during pregnancy can increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular diseases. And, once women reach menopause, the risk of heart disease increases because they lose the protection offered by the hormones.