Cardiovascular Risk and Outcomes in Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are 2 major chronic problems that prevalently affect women's health and quality of life in the United States. However, whether female IPV survivors are at risk for developing adverse cardiovascular outcomes has not been clearly understood. Objective This integrative review was conducted to bridge the literature gap by examining cardiovascular health in female adults with a history of IPV experience. Methods Three electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science were used to search for studies published between 1998 and 2019. The search process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results Of the 229 records retrieved from the literature, 19 met the criteria for review. All included studies were quantitative research. Although the overall findings showed a mixed relationship between IPV and CVD, women who experienced abuse were more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors, have higher levels of CVD biomarkers, experience cardiovascular symptoms, and exhibit long-term cardiovascular complications when compared with nonabused women. Conclusions Intimate partner violence is a stressor that directly and indirectly influences women's cardiovascular health. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare providers to routinely screen IPV status in clinical practice. Targeted interventions, such as assessing women's coping strategies and evaluating their cardiovascular health using a total risk factor approach, are recommended to prevent or reduce the deleterious effects of violence on this large, vulnerable group of women.

The Associations of Intimate Partner Violence and Non-Partner Sexual Violence with Hypertension in South African Women

“…These findings of frequent physical and emotional IPV being associated with hypertension enrich the body of evidence indicating that repeated exposure to violence increases adverse physical and mental health during adulthood [ 45 , 46 ]. It is possible that physical IPV often cannot be hidden from others (i.e., injuries) and this may create more stress in women who do not want others to know about abuse in their relationships, and this may likely lead to psychological distress.…”

Association Between Men’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Self-reported Health Outcomes in New Zealand

“…[23][24][25] Stressors related to IPV are hypothesized to play a role in chronic inflammatory states, which can lead to adverse health outcomes. 26,27 Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, also associated with IPV severity and frequency, have been shown to play a role in worsened symptoms and progression of various health conditions and are purported to mediate between IPV and poor health. 15,16,28,29 In research including men's experiences, evidence suggests that IPV-related physical and mental health outcomes differ between men and women.…”

Syndemic effects in complex humanitarian emergencies: A framework for understanding political violence and improving multi-morbidity health outcomes

“…Witnessing violence, experiencing violence, and the threat of violence impact stress pathways both to trigger inflammatory processes and to suppress viral responses ( Lindqvist et al, 2014 )(Anonymous, 2016). Exposure to violence impacts metabolism, cardiovascular function, and pain pathways ( Alhalal et al, 2018 ; Kaur, 2017 ; Kliewer et al, 2019 ; Konstam & Konstam, 2019 ; Liu et al, 2020 ; Rivara et al, 2019 ). Outside the body, violence transforms the social world by reducing access to restorative social relationships, decreasing access to health, educational, and social services, and limiting economic and livelihood opportunities ( Willman & Team, 2009 ; Yodanis et al, 2000 ).…”