Women ‘more likely to die younger if they are infertile’

FAILURE to have a baby could be a sign of fundamental ill health in women and indicate a greater risk of early death, according to a major study.

In the first analysis of its kind, researchers discovered infertile women have a 10 per cent higher chance of dying prematurely than those able to conceive and are 45 per cent more likely to die from breast cancer. Experts say the findings indicate that infertility is a symptom of underlying medical problems which go on to trigger serious disease in later life.

Presented at the annual congress of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) in San Antonio, the results have prompted calls for women who struggle to conceive to be screened for certain cancers.

While it is not known for sure what links infertility and early mortality, the stark association with breast cancer, plus a 70 per cent increased risk of death from diabetes, points strongly towards hormone-related disorders.

Previous research highlighted links between cancer and hormonal treatments to aid fertility. However, this is the first of its size and nature to reveal the association between fundamental

‘The study highlights the fact that a history of infertility is indeed related to a woman’s lifelong health’

difficulty conceiving and premature death. The study followed more than 78,000 women for 13 years, 14 per cent of whom reported infertility, an inability to conceive for one year or more.

Even though the incidence of diabetes was similar in fertile and infertile women, infertile women experienced an increased risk of death from endocrine-related diseases, including diabetes and breast cancer.

Infertility was not, however, linked to increased rates of ovarian or uterine cancers. “Associations between infertility and medical disease have been noted in the male population, the relationship between a woman’s fertility and her overall health has not been as robustly examined,” said Dr Natalie Stentz, from the University of Pennsylvania, who led the research.

“The study highlights the fact that a history of infertility is indeed related to women’s lifelong health and opens potential opportunities for screening or preventative management for infertile women.” She added: “One of the things we do know is that having a baby at some point in a woman’s life is protective for health.”