Delaying motherhood linked to higher risk of heart attack

Women who delay motherhood until they are 40 or older are more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke in later life than women who have children at a younger age, research suggests.

The study, presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles, examined data concerning more than 72,000 women, 3,300 of them reported that they became pregnant late in life.

The researchers compared their rates of stroke, heart attack, and cardiovascular death over 12 years of follow-ups with women who were pregnant at a younger age.