Are you trying to have children but having no luck? According to the latest statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13.4% of all women of childbearing age in the US have difficulty getting pregnant.1 In the wake Increase in infertilityMore and more women are turning to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs).
Examples of ARTs are in vitro fertilization (IVF), the most popular option. Here, a fertility specialist takes an egg from the ovary and combines it with sperm. Then the fertilized egg is returned to the woman’s uterus. The actual number of babies born through IVF is still very small – less than 2% of all births every year.2
Arts can help the first step to start pregnancy, they will not be an obstacle. According to the Cleveland Clinic, they increase the risk of having more than one child without increasing the financial cost. Moreover, ART is less likely to cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Stress levels are also expected to rise as it takes many attempts to succeed in the arts.3 Now, a new study adds another risk to the list – heart disease.
Can IVF increase the risk of heart disease?
A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology tests the hypothesis that many women never hear about ART: Can these techniques affect long-term cardiovascular health?4
To conduct the analysis, the researchers followed women born between 1965 and 2000 after an average of 12 years of fertility treatment. They used data from the National Health Registry, which allows long-term follow-up without relying on recall. They then compared women who took ART with those who did not. They also analyzed how the risk changed as the number of ART cycles increased.
• The risk increases with each cycle of ART. Each additional cycle of ART increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in general. The increase in cycles was modest but consistent. That’s important information because many women have more than one cycle and often go back. As you stack exposures, small increments add up.
• Blood clots cause cardiovascular risk: The increased risk is mainly due to pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. For those unfamiliar with these terms, a pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that travels to the lungs. Deep vein thrombosis refers to clots that form in the deep veins, usually in the legs.
• Frozen embryo transfer carries a higher risk of – Frozen embryo transfer cycles have shown a stronger association with cardiovascular disease than other types of cycles. During these cycles, the body’s natural hormone-producing structure does not function in the same way after ovulation.
• Blood clots are the main concern, not general heart disease. When pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis were removed from the analysis, the association between ART cycles and cardiovascular disease was weakened. That comparison reinforces the central take – coagulation is the main indicator. This clarity can help you focus on what to look for and discuss with your doctor, rather than a broad, non-specific cardiovascular risk assessment.
• After accounting for age, health and pregnancy, the risk remains – After the adjustment, the association was held. That reinforces confidence that the perceived risk is not just pregnancy or preexisting conditions. This supports the hypothesis that exposure to ARTs increases their own cardiovascular stress beyond pregnancy.
The authors explained that high-dose hormonal stimulation during ARTs alters fluid balance, blood viscosity, and vessel behavior. Hormones used to stimulate egg production change the blood’s clotting mechanism and weaken the blood vessels’ natural anti-clotting properties. Over time, repeated exposure reinforces that change.
• Repeated hormone exposure alters blood flow and blood flow. The endothelium is the inner lining of your blood vessels. Under normal circumstances, it keeps the blood flowing continuously. Hormonal suppression associated with ARTs disrupts this balance, increasing the formation of adhesions and clots. Once this layer loses its protective role, the risk of clotting increases even years later.
Note that this study does not discourage women from choosing ARTs. Fully informed consent promotes transparency for the patient. Again, knowing where risk is located enables targeted prevention, early warning signs and smarter monitoring.
The researchers emphasized that monitoring cardiovascular health is an important strategy to prevent further complications. In addition, if a woman has to undergo multiple ART cycles, health care professionals are encouraged to match their patient’s cardiometabolic profile to minimize the risk.
How to weigh cardiovascular risks beyond ART options
Long-term cardiovascular data is limited when it comes to ART-based medication. That said, it’s important to be familiar with each used if you’re ready to go with this approach to conception. The table below provides an overview of common ARTs strategies as well as recent findings surrounding them. It is best to consult a fertility specialist for more information:
| method | Current information | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Gonadotropins and high-estrogen stimulation | transient pro-thrombotic physiology; A common symptom of cardiovascular disease is not heart failure but clotting | Ask your clinic how to reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome; Check your personal venous thromboembolism risk factors |
| Arrested embryo transfer (no corpus luteum) | In a registry study, a strong association with the risk of cardiovascular disease was found with each additional programmed cooling cycle | Discuss whether natural cycle frozen embryo transfer is an option for you |
| Clomiphene | Limited high-quality long-term cardiovascular disease data; It is not specified in the new registration analysis | Immediately report chest pain, vision changes, or severe headaches during your cycle |
| Letrozole | Limited long-term cardiovascular disease data; It is often used for egg introduction | Estrogen may be lower than some stimulation protocols; Still watch for signs |
| Progesterone/estrogen for luteal support | Short-term hormonal exposure; There is no clear independent long-term symptom of cardiovascular disease | Use as directed; Watch for leg swelling or shortness of breath |
Who should have a cardiology test before ART?
It is wise for a woman to first evaluate her cardiovascular health before deciding on the type of ARTs she wants. As it turns out, there may be underlying conditions that can spoil the results. This was shown in a study published in the Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy.5
• Cardiovascular disease can be present in the first stage – The study population in the paper included women undergoing fertility treatment, many of whom were already at risk of cardiometabolic risk before pregnancy. The researchers emphasized that infertility itself often overlaps with conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Excessive obesityInsulin resistance and high blood pressure.
• Fertility treatment stresses the cardiovascular system beyond normal: A significant finding in the study is the comparison of cardiovascular problems in different reproductive conditions. Pregnancy alone significantly increases cardiac output, meaning your heart pumps more blood per minute than usual.
Fertility treatment increases the burden by increasing the chance of multiple pregnancies. Carrying a twin or high-order pregnancy requires a greater cardiovascular output than a singleton pregnancy.
• Many cardiovascular risk factors are under-recognized and under-monitored: Blood pressure, lipid levels, glucose control, and weight management often receive attention during prenatal care because the focus remains on the concept.
• Kidney health can also be compromised by: According to the present study, women who used ARTs to conceive and had pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors were at increased risk of kidney damage, as well as arrhythmias and ischemic stroke.
How to reduce cardiovascular risk when deciding to pursue ART
Optimizing cardiovascular health is important, arts or not. One basic step that women (and everyone else for that matter) can take is to reduce their intake of linoleic acid (LA). As stated in my study It was published in the World Journal of CardiologyLA disrupts mitochondrial function by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage the inner lining of blood vessels.
• Discover more LA resources – These include corn, soy, sunflower and cottonseed oils, which are generally found in highly processed foods, so avoid these. Less obvious sources of LA include pork and poultry, which are commonly produced for their feed.
Reduce your food consumption to less than 5 grams per day. If you can keep it under 2 grams, that’s even better. Mercola’s Health Coach app — coming soon — includes Oil Sleuth, designed to track LA food down to the tenth of a gram.
• Additional Reminders – Coming back to ART-related tips, here are some tips to keep in mind:
◦ Inquire about protocols that reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, including step-down and natural-cycle, rather than programmed, frozen embryo transfer when necessary.
◦ Monitor your blood pressure at home if you have a history or risk factors for high blood pressure. Bring your readings to tours.
◦ Review any medications and supplements with your medical team, especially those that affect blood clotting.
◦ If you feel unwell, don’t hesitate to call your doctor. Remember that you and your team are partners managing a time-limited, somewhat high-risk situation.
When should you call the clinic and seek urgent care?
Finally, don’t hesitate to contact emergency services. Use this labeling guide during and after ART cycles to help you decide:
• Call emergency services immediately – Sudden onset of severe chest pain and shortness of breath, unilateral leg swelling and pain, coughing up blood, and severe headache with neurological symptoms all require immediate medical attention.
• Call your doctor during the day – Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if you experience persistent chest discomfort, new heart palpitations, frequent blood pressure readings, constipation with rapid weight gain, and calf pain or swelling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Heart Disease
Q: Does IVF increase a woman’s risk of heart disease?
A: Yes. IVF and other ARTs, especially as the number of treatment cycles increases, there is a high risk of cardiovascular diseases in the long term. The risk appears to be cumulative rather than one-time and is primarily driven by coagulation-related events.
Q: Are strokes more common after IVF or fertility drugs?
A: The study found that stroke was more common in all women after IVF. It found that ischemic stroke risk was higher in women using ARTs and those with pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors, but did not implicate stroke risk as a primary or widespread effect of IVF itself.
Q: Which birth control pills carry the highest risk of blood clots?
A: The highest risk of clotting is associated with fertility protocols that include gonadotropins and high-estrogen stimulation. These drugs increase the tendency to clot in the blood, especially when starting ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Programmed frozen embryo transfer protocols have been highlighted as having a higher risk due to their hormonal design.
Q: Is IVF safe for me if I have high blood pressure or preeclampsia?
A: IVF requires extra caution if you already have high blood pressure or risk factors for pre-eclampsia. Cardiovascular screening before treatment, close monitoring during cycle and pregnancy, and individualized risk assessment are prudent rather than automatically deeming IVF safe or unsafe.
Q: Do IVF hormones increase blood pressure?
A: IVF hormones are associated with pregnancy-related hypertension, but research shows that chronic hypertension after IVF is not clear.
