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American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1997 Apr;87(4):676–680. doi: 10.2105/ajph.87.4.676

Hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and heart disease risk factors in older women.

D Kritz-Silverstein 1, E Barrett-Connor 1, D L Wingard 1
PMCID: PMC1380855  PMID: 9146454

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relation of hysterectomy and oophorectomy to heart disease risk factors. METHODS: Data were collected and analyzed for 1150 women aged 50 through 89. RESULTS: Of these women, 21.8% reported hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy; 22.1%, hysterectomy with ovarian conservation. Compared with women without hysterectomy, oophorectomized women, especially those 20 or more years postmenopause, had increased lipids, lipoproteins, glucose, and insulin; blood pressures were increased among current estrogen users. Women with hysterectomies with ovarian conservation had similar or more favorable risk factors than nonhysterectomized women. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral oophorectomy, but not hysterectomy, may have long-term negative consequences for heart disease risk factors not totally ameliorated by estrogen use.

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Selected References

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