A new study has found that patients who go through hip or knee replacement are at higher risk of developing heart attack shortly after surgery and an increased risk of developing blood clots in the long run.

The study, which appears in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology, also stated that the risk of getting heart attack declines over time, but the first few months after getting surgery is a critical period for both patients and doctors.

For the study, researchers led by Yuqing Zhang of Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, assessed around 40,000 osteoarthritis patients aged 50 years old and above.

More than 6,000 patients who underwent hip replacement were compared to 6,000 who did not go through with the procedure.

There were also 13,849 patients who received total knee replacement and they were compared with 13,849 others who did not have the surgery, as reported in Medical News Today.

These patients were followed for 4.2 years on average. The study found that 306 patients who had osteoarthritis and received knee replacement had heart attack compared to 286 control participants.

For those who had the condition and received hip replacement, 128 developed heart attack during the study period and this was compared to 138 controls.

Although there was a greater risk seen among these patients who underwent surgery, researchers found that the risk reduced over time.

But the risk of getting blood clots increased months after surgery and tended to last for several years.

Despite the findings, researchers do not advise people not to go for the surgery.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), that affects the cartilage, the slippery tissue protecting the ends of bones that meet in a joint.

The condition usually develops with age and mostly affects hips, knees, and fingers. According to NIAMS, roughly 27 million Americans over the age of 25 suffer from osteoarthritis.