A new research analysis has shown that there may be a possible linkage of endometriosis with higher rates of mortality at young ages, mainly from cancers of the gynecological system. According to the study presented in the British Medical Journal, women with endometriosis or uterine fibroids die somewhat more frequently before they attain age 70 than do women without such conditions.
It is said to affect about 10% of women of reproductive age. Uterine fibroids, on the other hand, are benign growths in or around the uterus; it’s almost certainly going to happen to two-thirds of a woman at some point in her life. Both conditions are known to cause significant health challenges and even more complexities so far, as long diagnosis delays for endometriosis complicate treatment and management.
The present study used data from more than 110,000 women aged 25-42 years who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Long-term changes in health and lifestyle choices of the women were tracked over nearly three decades, from 1989 to 2019. With an all-cause death rate at 2 per 1,000 person-years, women with endometriosis were found to have a better survival rate compared to those without the disease, at 1.4 per 1,000 person-years. The study results accounted for different factors like age, weight, smoking, and physical activity. Controlling for all these covariates, the authors found endometriosis was associated with a 31% increased risk of premature death, largely due to cancers of the female reproductive organs.
The fibroids, though not related to a higher risk of overall early mortality, were linked with an increased risk for death from gynecologic cancers. The study findings highlight the significance of providers considering implications of these conditions for long-term health beyond reproductive years, particularly concerning cancer risk.
Endometriosis
Though it was an observational study and not directly related to cause and effect, the authors reviewed that endometriosis and fibroids have been linked to chronic diseases, which include hypertension, heart disease, and certain cancers. The findings highlight the significance of early diagnosis and the need for personalized approaches for the treatment of women affected by these conditions.
Gynecologist Francisco Carmona welcomed the study, saying it has “really rigorous methodology,” and commenting on the study’s findings, he asks for further “consideration of gynecological diseases in general in terms of broad women’s health.” He also believes further investigations are needed to see how changing treatments and surgical methods, such as ovarian removal, change a woman’s long-run health course.
