Coronary disease & ACSCohort study
Experiences of Stalking and Obtaining a Restraining Order Are Associated With Onset of Cardiovascular Events in Women: A Prospective Analysis in the Nurses’ Health Study II
- Prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Experiences of stalking and obtaining a restraining order are both associated with an increased risk of developing CVD in women.
Study context
- Population
- Women free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 2001, Nurses' Health Study II cohort
- Participants
- 66,270 women
- Exposure
- Stalking or restraining order vs neither
- Stalkedn = 7,721
- Restraining ordern = 3,686
- Outcome
- Incident CVD (self-reported MI or stroke)
- Follow-up
- Through 2021 (over 20 years)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Self-reported incident CVD · median 19.9 years
Estimate (95% CI)
Stalked vs Not stalkedadjusted for sociodemographic and childhood or family factors
HR 1.41(1.24–1.60)
Restraining order vs No restraining order
adjusted HR 1.70(1.44–1.98)
- Women with new-onset CVD
- 1879 (2.8%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Self-reported MI and stroke separately; confirmed or corroborated CVD
- Results similar
Incident CVD, further adjusted for health behaviours, medications, health conditions, childhood abuse and depressive symptoms
- Slightly attenuated but remained statistically significant
Original publication
Experiences of Stalking and Obtaining a Restraining Order Are Associated With Onset of Cardiovascular Events in Women: A Prospective Analysis in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Circulation. Published 11 August 2025. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.124.073592
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it