Patients with endometriosis or uterine fibroids have a slightly increased risk of dying before age 70, suggests a large study published Thursday, Nov. 21, in the British Medical Journal. The cause is usually present pathologies, such as certain types of cancer.
“Endometriosis and uterine fibroids are associated, in the long term, with an increased risk of early mortality,” the researchers write.
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that usually causes severe pain during menstruation and/or fertility problems. It affects approximately one in ten women.
More than 110,000 women followed
Endometriosis and uterine fibroids “are also associated with an increased risk of death from gynecologic cancer,” according to the study. “Endometriosis is associated with a higher risk of non-oncological mortality,” its authors add.
The study was conducted between 1989 and 2019 among 110,091 women aged 25 to 42 years without a history of hysterectomy and before diagnosis of endometriosis or fibroids, cardiovascular disease or cancer.
They were all American nurses whose health status was measured every two years. In total, 4,356 premature deaths were recorded.
Risks of cancer, respiratory diseases…
From these data, the researchers established that patients with endometriosis and uterine fibroids were slightly more likely to die before age 70, a threshold they define as that of early death.
This risk is explained by the already known existence of pathologies most frequently associated with endometriosis and uterine fibroids. In the case of the latter, these are mainly certain cancers, while in the case of endometriosis, the range of risks is broader, with certain respiratory diseases, for example.
The risk of dying prematurely remains relatively low for patients. In the case of endometriosis, it is multiplied by 1.19 compared to patients who do not suffer from these pathologies.
Better consideration needed
However, the data highlight the importance of considering the existence of these disorders during routine medical examinations, according to the study authors.
“These results highlight the importance of primary health care providers considering these gynecological disorders in their assessment of women’s health,” they say, referring to general practitioners.
This work is carried out in a context where women’s health is receiving increased attention from researchers and policy makers.
Source: BFM TV
