Most vulnerable are women aged 18 to 34 who experience the highest rates of such violence.
Young women and, in general, young adults who have had at least one experience of abuse and violence by their partner or relative, face increased cardiovascular riskespecially for heart attack, stroke or heart failure, even years later, a new American scientific study shows.
The researchers, led by Kathryn Recto of Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago, who made the announcement at the American Heart Association cardiology conference in Dallas, analyzed data on about 4,300 people.
Among other things, the research found that even one experience of abuse in the past year resulted in the victim subsequently drinking more alcohol, smoking more, and being more likely to be depressed. Experiencing intimate partner or family violence was associated with greater by at least 34% risk for a cardiovascular event and 30% for premature death of any cause. If the incidents of violence were more than one in the previous year, then the increased risk of early death was 34% if the abuser was a partner or acquaintance and 59% if it was a family member.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), violence is defined as any physical, sexual, emotional or mental abuse or aggression that occurs within a romantic relationship or marriage by a former or current partner/spouse, with the intent to induce harm or exercise control over the other. Over 43 million women and 38 million men in the US have experienced at least one psychological level of aggression from their partner in their lifetime. Most vulnerable are women aged 18 to 34 who experience the highest rates of such violence.
“There is growing evidence that intimate partner violence, a significant psychological and physical trauma, is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Our new study, which followed participants for nearly 30 years, was able to confirm this association,” said Recto.
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