On May 2, when a leaked document showed that the U.S. Supreme Court had voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the future of abortion rights in the United States suddenly became unclear. How would the individual states respond? Could a federal ban be next? The list of questions went on and on.
A new commentary in JAMA Cardiology[1] examined this issue by looking at the impact anti-abortion laws can have on the cardiovascular health of women. Restricting abortion rights is directly linked to increases in maternal mortality, the authors explained. It also limits shared decision-making efforts between patients and their physicians and increases known disparities in maternal health.
Verity Ramirez, MD, a cardiology fellow with UConn Health, wrote the commentary with cardiologist Melissa Joy Ferraro-Borgida, MD, and obstetrician-gynecologist Sarah Lindsay, MD, both of Hartford Healthcare.
“For patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), abortion access is a critical part of their comprehensive cardiovascular and reproductive care,” the three authors wrote. “Pregnancy can exacerbate pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, eg, cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, and lead to acquired conditions, including peripartum cardiomyopathy or spontaneous coronary artery dissection.”
The group also detailed how the end of Roe v. Wade could be just the beginning when it comes to limiting treatment options for pregnant patients presenting with CVD.
“Trigger laws, anti-abortion legislation that exists in waiting but would become legal if SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade, would further negatively affect patients with CVD by eliminating abortion rights in a state,” They wrote. “Given the effects of existing anti-abortion legislation, high-risk patients who are also black individuals and have low socioeconomic status would likely be disproportionately affected. Disparate maternal outcomes in these populations will be perpetuated.”
Ramirez et al. emphasized that, even during this uncertain time in the history of reproductive rights, cardiologists can still do numerous things to help protect women from CVD and other health issues.
These are six examples the authors shared:
- Provide preconception and contraception counseling.
- Assist patients with congenital heart disease with the transition from pediatric cardiology to adult cardiology.
- Provide high-risk patients with regular follow-up care.
- Support reproductive rights and find ways to speak out against “restrictive abortion laws.”
- Focus on social determinants of health by working to increase patient access to care.
- Support advocacy efforts focused on helping pregnant CVD patients receive the care they may need.
Related Pregnancy and CVD Content:
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Women who experience infertility may face higher heart failure risk
Why 'leaky' heart valves in pregnant women should not be ignored
Mitral valve prolapse during pregnancy linked to higher risk of cardiac complications
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Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.