Women who’ve had recurrent miscarriages or a stillbirth may face elevated risk for myocardial infarction later in life, according to a prospective study in Heart.

Over 11,000 women (aged 35 to 66) who’d ever been pregnant were followed for roughly 11 years. During that time, 79 first MIs and 107 first strokes occurred. After adjustment for age and cardiovascular risk factors, women who reported having experienced more than three miscarriages had five times the risk for MI as those who’d never had a miscarriage. In addition, those reporting a stillbirth had more than three times the risk for MI, compared with those without a stillbirth.

There was no apparent association between pregnancy loss and stroke.

The authors say their findings are biologically plausible because many conditions that predispose to pregnancy loss also predispose to heart disease. They conclude: “Recurrent miscarriage and stillbirth … should be considered as important indicators for monitoring cardiovascular risk factors and preventive measures.”