Ovary removal at 50–70 with noncancer hysterectomy not tied to 3 risks
A cohort of 66,905 women followed for a median 13 years found no links to cardiovascular disease, dementia or osteoporosis-related fractures compared with keeping ovaries.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cohort study of 57,305 women undergoing elective noncancer hysterectomy, median 13 years
- What changed:
- Heart and blood vessel disease did not differ with ovary removal versus keeping ovaries: 50-54y: HR 0.99; ≥55y: HR 0.96
- The catch:
- Underlying health differences between women having the two operations could distort comparisons despite adjustment
- In the record:
- The 16th paper on bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with results in people; 26 on record in all.
- Why it’s aging research:
- It bears on staying healthy in midlife and later life.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Women aged 50–70 undergoing elective hysterectomy, surgery to remove the uterus, for noncancerous conditions were studied in a population-based retrospective cohort in Ontario, Canada. The cohort included 66,905 women; 74% also had both ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Median follow-up was 13 years.
The researchers compared women who had the additional surgery with those who kept their ovaries. They adjusted for demographic characteristics, gynecological conditions and other illnesses, and accounted for deaths during follow-up. They analyzed women aged 50–54 separately from those aged 55 and older. Neither age group showed an association between ovary and tube removal and cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels; dementia; or fractures related to osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones.
Why it matters
Removing the ovaries and fallopian tubes is an option for reducing ovarian cancer risk. The findings inform decisions about its possible long-term health consequences in women of postmenopausal age.
Caveats
Unmeasured health differences between women having the two operations may have affected the comparisons despite statistical adjustment. The findings concern women aged 50–70 having surgery for noncancerous conditions, not younger women or those undergoing cancer surgery.
The paper
Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, Nov 2026
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