HPV infection linked to higher cardiovascular risk
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- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Women with high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) — a well-known cause of cervical cancer — may face a higher risk of dying from heart disease, new research suggests.
Published online Feb. 7, 2024, by the European Heart Journal, the study included more than 163,000 young and middle-aged Korean women without heart disease. As part of a national health exam, they were screened for high-risk HPV and tracked for up to 17 years. After adjusting for factors that affect heart disease risk, researchers found that women infected with high-risk HPV were four times more likely to die of heart disease than uninfected women.
Viral infections can trigger inflammation (a key player in heart disease), and that may explain the association, according to the study authors. But more research, including studies in men, are needed to confirm the findings. Vaccines against HPV — which is the most common sexually transmitted infection — are extremely effective for preventing cervical cancer. Future studies of these vaccines could also track heart-related outcomes.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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