Researchers have uncovered a startling connection between endometriosis and cardiovascular health in women, as a recent study revealed that those with the condition face a 20% higher risk of serious cardiac events, including heart attacks and strokes.
Endometriosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus, known as the endometrium, grows outside the uterus. This often leads to symptoms such as pain, fatigue, swelling, severe menstrual cramps, heavy bleeding, and irregular periods. It is also one of the leading causes of female infertility, with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimating that 24% to 50% of women struggling with infertility have endometriosis.
Earlier studies have shown that endometriosis is linked to an increased risk of cancers such as ovarian cancer. A recent study has further highlighted this risk, revealing that women with severe forms of endometriosis, such as deep infiltrating endometriosis or ovarian endometriomas (commonly known as chocolate cysts), are 9.7 times more likely to develop ovarian cancer.
In the latest study, researchers analyzed data from 60,000 women with endometriosis in a Danish database, tracking their health over an average of 16 years to examine the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. These findings were then compared to the cardiovascular events in 242,000 age-matched women without endometriosis.
The study revealed that women with endometriosis had a 35% higher risk of experiencing a heart attack and a 20% greater risk of an ischemic stroke (caused by a blood clot), compared to those without the condition. Also, those with endometriosis faced a 21% higher risk of developing heart arrhythmia and an 11% increased risk of heart failure.
The findings were shared at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting in London last week.
"For decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been thought of as a man's disease and risk factors have been considered from the male perspective, for example, including erectile dysfunction in guidelines on CVD risk assessment. Yet, 1 in 3 women die from CVD and 1 in 10 women suffer from endometriosis. Our results suggest that it may be time to routinely consider the risk of CVD in women with endometriosis," said Dr. Eva Havers-Borgersen, lead study author in a news release.
"We suggest that women with endometriosis undergo CVD risk assessment, and it is now time for female-specific risk factors – such as endometriosis, but also gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia – to be considered in cardiovascular risk prediction models. Further research is needed to confirm our findings and integrate these factors into effective risk prediction models," Dr. Havers-Borgersen concluded.
