Women who have larger families may be more at risk of having a heart-related disease. Researchers have found that women who have a lot of children are more likely to end up in the hospital due to a heart attack.

Bigger Families, Bigger Health Problems

Heart disease is the number one killer among women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Certain factors that can contribute to a person acquiring a heart-related disease include having a poor diet, being obese, and having diabetes.

A team of researchers from Cambridge University, however, discovered that women who have five or more children were 38 percent more at risk of being hospitalized from a heart attack. The researchers also found that these women were also 29 percent more likely to have a cardiovascular disease and 17 percent more likely to have heart failure.
In addition, these women were at a 25 percent higher risk of having a stroke.

When it came to women who suffered a miscarriage, the team of scientists discovered that these women were at 60 percent higher risk of suffering from a heart disease. This was compared to women who had one or two children.

The researchers studied more than 8,000 women from the United States who were between the ages of 45 and 64 years old. Each of the women's health was monitored over the past three decades.

From the total participants, there was an estimate of 843 heart attacks, 750 strokes, and 1,352 chronic heart condition within that time frame.

Mother's Be On Guard

The team of researchers noted that there was no link between childbirth and heart diseases; however, they did suggest that the stress of having a larger family and not having enough time to take care of themselves could be the key factor.

Lead author Dr. Clare Oliver-Williams stated that this study is not intended to scare women. She hopes it will increase awareness among women so they can take better care of themselves.

Oliver-Williams suggests that women should make healthier changes to their lifestyle.

"And for other readers, if they are concerned about a woman who may be at greater risk, try and help out. Offer to look after the kids (or some of the kids) so that the mother can have some downtime, for example," she stated.