Women who reported being stalked or getting a restraining order have a 40 to 70 percent higher risk of heart disease and stroke, finds large new study.

Women who reported having been stalked or obtained a restraining order were each more likely to experience a heart attack and/or stroke in later years compared to those who did not, according to new research published in Circulation.

Women who have been stalked are at "significantly" higher risk of heart disease, say scientists. The American study showed that women who experienced being stalked or who obtained restraining orders were 41% more likely to develop heart disease over the following 20 years than women who had not been through the harrowing experience.

Victims of stalkers appear to have an increased risk of heart disease, a new study says. Women who had been stalked or had obtained a restraining order were more likely to develop heart problems later in life,