Vasectomy and subsequent cardiovascular disease in US physicians

• Published in: Contraception (Stoneham) 1999-03, Vol.59 (3), p.181-186
• Main Authors: Manson, JoAnn E, Ridker, Paul M, Spelsberg, Angela, Ajani, Umed, Lotufo, Paulo A, Hennekens, Charles H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: angina; Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; heart disease; Humans; Male; male contraception; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; myocardial infarction; Other methods of contraception. Sterilization; Physicians; Population; Risk Factors; stroke; United States; vasectomy; Vasectomy - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0010-7824; 1879-0518
• DOI: 10.1016/S0010-7824(99)00020-7

Due to previous animal research suggesting accelerated atherosclerosis following vasectomy, we examined whether vasectomy increases the risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), including myocardial infarction (MI), angina pectoris, coronary revascularization, and stroke, in the US Physicians’ Health Study. Of 22,071 US male physicians participating in the study, aged 40 to 84 years at entry and free from cardiovascular disease and cancer, 21,028 reported on the 60-month questionnaire whether they had undergone vasectomy prior to randomization. Of the 4546 physicians with vasectomy, 1159 had undergone the procedure at least 15 years before entry. During 258,892 person-years of follow-up, we documented 773 cases of MI (719 nonfatal and 54 fatal), 1907 cases of angina pectoris or coronary revascularization, and 604 confirmed cases of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (566 nonfatal and 38 fatal). When compared to men without prior vasectomy, the multivariate relative risk (RR) of total MI adjusted for age and other coronary risk factors was 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77–1.14) among men with vasectomy. Risk estimates for fatal and nonfatal events did not appreciably differ from each other. For angina or coronary revascularization or both, the multivariate relative risk was 0.99 (0.88–1.12) and for total stroke the RR was 0.95 (0.75–1.21). For men who had undergone vasectomy 15 or more years previously, the multivariate relative risks were 0.98 (0.73–1.32) for total MI, 1.17 (0.87–1.57) for total stroke, and 1.12 (0.94–1.35) for angina/revascularization. These results provide reassuring evidence that vasectomy does not materially increase the risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease, even 15 or more years following the procedure.