RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REPRODUCTIVE HISTORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER WOMEN IN THE NORTHEAST BRAZIL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Cardiovascular diseases, parity, aging.
Objective: To verify the relationship between reproductive history variables and cardiovascular risk in middle-aged and older women in northeastern Brazil. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 623 women, between 40 and 80 years old. The variables of reproductive history (age at menarche, age at first birth, parity and menopausal status) were collected by self-report. Cardiovascular risk was analyzed using the Framingham Score. Multiple linear regression analyzes were performed between the variables that presented p <0.20 in the bivariate analysis and the Framingham score. Results: A total of 623 women were evaluated, with a mean age of 53.4 (9.1) years. Regarding cardiovascular risk, with each increase in the number of children, women increased the Framingham Score by 0.19 points (β = 0.199, p = 0.01). In addition, those who were postmenopausal had a 1.6 (β = -1,601, p = 0,002) increase in the Framingham score. Conclusion: Parity and postmenopausal stage increase cardiovascular risk by 10 years according to the Framingham Score.