Violence Causes 'Potentially Huge Health Impacts' in Women

Women who've been stalked or obtained restraining orders are significantly more likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes later in life, new research finds—raising urgent questions about how violence shapes women's long-term health. As study author Rebecca Lawn notes, per Axios, "violence against women is common." Researchers analyzed data from over 66,000 registered nurses in the US, ages 36-56, who were tracked for 20 years beginning in 2001, per Global News. Nearly 12% of participants reported being stalked, and nearly 6% had secured a restraining order. None had cardiovascular disease at the start. Over two decades, about 3% developed new heart disease or stroke.

Women who reported stalking were 41% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to those who had not. The risk was even higher—70%—for those who had obtained a restraining order, according to the study published Monday in Circulation. Lawn, a research associate at Harvard and the University of British Columbia whose previous research linked sexual assault and workplace harassment to higher blood pressure in women, says this indicates violence against women "has huge, or potentially huge health impacts" years or decades down the road, per Global. Experts suggest the stress associated with stalking or violence may explain the increased cardiovascular risk, though the study did not analyze biological mechanisms directly.