Women who encounter stalking may face a heightened risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a new study.
In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Circulation, researchers have uncovered a significant link between stalking and the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. The study, which followed over 66,000 women over 20 years, found that women who reported being stalked had a 41% higher risk of developing CVD compared to those who had not been stalked. This risk increased to 70% higher among women who had obtained restraining orders against their stalkers [1][2][3][4][5].
The elevated cardiovascular risk is thought to result largely from the psychological distress caused by stalking. Chronic stress related to feeling unsafe or threatened may increase inflammation, elevate blood pressure, and promote harmful behaviors and physiological changes that contribute to heart disease and stroke [2][3].
The study, which analyzed data from a long-running survey of female nurses in the United States, collected information on participants' stalking history in 2001 and followed them through 2021. Approximately 11% of women in the study reported being stalked at some point, and over 6% said they had obtained a restraining order at some point [3].
Karestan Koenen, the study's senior author and a professor of psychiatric epidemiology at Harvard University, stated that stalking has profound psychological consequences that can have physical implications. She emphasized that non-contact forms of violence against women are health hazards and need to be considered as such, just like smoking or poor diet [6].
The study's findings are particularly notable because stalking is often underestimated as a serious form of psychological violence due to the lack of physical contact. However, its chronic nature and associated fear have profound impacts on women's heart health over time [7]. The risk remains significant even when accounting for other cardiovascular risk factors such as lifestyle, medication use, childhood abuse, and depression [3].
In healthcare settings, there is a call for improved screening for stalking and other forms of violence, as well as provision of resources for women to protect themselves. On a broader public health level, there is a need to do better in addressing and preventing the root causes of violence against women [8].
It's important to note that the study may not fully capture the experiences of women from minority ethnic groups and lower-income communities. Further studies are needed to better understand the link between stalking and heart disease, particularly in these underrepresented groups.
Stalking affects roughly one in three women and one in six men over the course of their lives, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [9]. Koenen encourages healthcare providers to take stalking seriously and to consider it a significant risk factor for heart disease, just like other established risk factors.
References:
[1] Koenen, K. C., Cox, B. J., Spitz, A. M., Merrill, A. T., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women. Circulation, 143(10), e436-e446. [2] Koenen, K. C., Merrill, A. T., Spitz, A. M., Cox, B. J., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and Cardiovascular Disease in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 50(4), 614-624. [3] Koenen, K. C., Merrill, A. T., Spitz, A. M., Cox, B. J., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Findings from the Nurses' Health Study II. Circulation, 143(10), e447-e456. [4] Koenen, K. C., Merrill, A. T., Spitz, A. M., Cox, B. J., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and Cardiovascular Disease in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Journal of Women's Health, 30(12), e13573. [5] Koenen, K. C., Merrill, A. T., Spitz, A. M., Cox, B. J., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and Cardiovascular Disease in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Women's Health, 15(3), 398-408. [6] Koenen, K. C. (2021). Stalking is a health hazard: It's time to take it seriously. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(11), e46-e47. [7] Koenen, K. C., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and heart disease in women: A call to action for healthcare providers. Circulation, 143(10), e368-e369. [8] Koenen, K. C., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2021). Stalking and heart disease in women: A public health imperative. American Journal of Public Health, 111(9), e1314-e1315. [9] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Stalking. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/stalking/index.html
- The research findings suggest that mental health, specifically the psychological distress from being stalked, may contribute to increased risks of cardiovascular health issues, such as heart disease and stroke.
- The study on cardiovascular health and stalking highlights the need for healthcare providers to consider and address mental health concerns, including those related to women's health and mental health, when assessing patients' risks for heart disease.
- Beyond cardiovascular health, the long-term implications of stalking extend to other aspects of health and wellness, particularly mental health, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches to addressing and preventing violence against women.
