Mothers who have more than two children are more likely to suffer from heart disease in the future, according to a recent study.
The research, conducted by academics from the University of Cambridge, found that women who have more than five children are 38 percent more likely to experience a heart attack and 29 percent more likely to have a cardiovascular disease.
The findings also indicated that the same group of women were more than 25 percent more likely to suffer a stroke and 17 percent likely to experience heart failure.
Dr. Clare Oliver-Williams, the lead author of the study, said the health risks appeared to increase with each successive child.
The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, was based on data on 8,583 women between the ages of 45 and 64 living in the U.S. In the course of three decades, there were 843 heart attacks, 750 strokes and 1,352 chronic heart condition diagnoses among the study participants, according to Newsweek.
The authors of the study surmised that the increased health risk was due to the significant strain on the heart during pregnancy and childbirth. They also suggested that the stress of raising a large family would leave the mothers with less time to take care of themselves.
The study, which was unveiled at the British Cardiovascular Society conference, also showed that women who lost a child in pregnancy, including in miscarriages, were 60 percent more likely to have heart disease, compared to women with one or two children. The researchers said that this could be caused by the underlying health problems that increase the risk of pregnancy loss and heart disease.
The study authors said that they are hoping that the findings will encourage parents of large families to try to keep their hearts healthy through diet and exercise.
"The aim of my research is not to scare women but to bring to their attention as early as possible whether they might be at increased risk of heart attacks," Oliver-Williams said, as reported by The Independent.
"We know that pregnancy and childbirth put a tremendous strain on the heart, and raising children can be very stressful, too," she continued.
Jeremy Pearson, an associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said the study demonstrates that women are also at risk of suffering from heart problems.
"Research like this reminds us that – regardless of the stereotype of the overweight, middle-aged man having a heart attack – heart disease strikes men and women alike. As the major cause of heart attacks and strokes, heart disease cruelly tears families apart," said Pearson, according to The Independent.
