Women's Health
HPV infection linked to higher cardiovascular risk
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Women with high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) — a well-known cause of cervical cancer — may face a higher risk of dying from heart disease, new research suggests.
Published online Feb. 7, 2024, by the European Heart Journal, the study included more than 163,000 young and middle-aged Korean women without heart disease. As part of a national health exam, they were screened for high-risk HPV and tracked for up to 17 years. After adjusting for factors that affect heart disease risk, researchers found that women infected with high-risk HPV were four times more likely to die of heart disease than uninfected women.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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