Cardiovascular death after radiotherapy for benign bleeding disorders. The Radiumhemmet metropathia cohort 1912-1977.

Of 788 women treated with ionizing irradiation for benign bleeding disorders (metropathia) 308 (39%) died of cardiovascular disease. In a control group, consisting of 1219 women with metropathia who were not irradiated, 257 (21%) cardiovascular deaths occurred. Although the risk of cardiovascular death in the two studied cohorts compared with national death rates was only 0.92 (lower limit 0.82; upper limit 1.03) and 0.88 (lower limit 0.78; upper limit 0.99) respectively, it was found that women irradiated before the menopause (age 50 years) run a higher risk of cardiovascular death than the controls in the same age group and those irradiated after the menopause.