Overview

• A 20-year follow-up of over 66,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study II found women reporting stalking had a 41% higher risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those without such experiences.
• Women who obtained restraining orders—a marker of more severe violence—faced a 70% greater likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease over the study period.
• Associations between stalking or restraining-order histories and cardiovascular events persisted after accounting for self-reported lifestyle behaviors, health conditions, childhood abuse, and depression symptoms.
• Authors highlight plausible psychosocial pathways such as chronic stress disrupting nervous system and vascular function but note these mechanisms were not directly measured.
• Researchers and experts urge clinician training, routine screening for non-contact violence, and expanded survivor support while calling for replication in more diverse cohorts