Women with cosmetic breast implants are at an increased risk for suicide, according to a new study.
The study, printed in the current issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery, recommends doctors screen women before surgical enhancement and follow-up post-surgery as a preventative measure.
Researchers tracked the suicide rates for 3,527 Swedish women with breast implants over an eight-year period, according to an abstract of the study. Over that period, there were 175 suicide-related deaths for women with breast implants compared to the 133.4 average for a group of women that size.
The study also found a 3-fold increase in deaths related to suicide, alcohol and drugs, as well as deaths from injuries and accidents for women with breast implants. The increased risk for suicide was not apparent until 10 years after implantation.
Women with breast implants also had an elevated risk for lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease. However, there was no evidence that women with implants had an elevated risk of dying from either of these diseases, researchers concluded.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox