Women with endometriosis -- a chronic gynaecological disease -- are at a 35 per cent higher risk of severe heart attack, according to a study on Thursday.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the
lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, such as in the ovaries and
fallopian tubes. It is more common among women between the ages of 30 and 40
and can cause severe pelvic pain, and abnormal or heavy menstrual flow.
To date, there is no cure or way to prevent
endometriosis. Its symptoms can be treated with medicines.
While men are long known to be at higher risk of
heart disease, the study by Danish researchers showed women with endometriosis
have a 35 per cent increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart
attack). They also had 20 per cent more chances of ischaemic stroke compared to
those without endometriosis.
The study showed that the 40-year cumulative
incidence of these conditions was 17.5 per cent and 15.3 per cent,
respectively.
"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, one in three women die from CVD and one
in 10 women suffer from endometriosis," said lead author Dr. Eva
Havers-Borgersen from Rigshospitalet Copenhagen University Hospital, in
Denmark.
"Our results suggest that it may be time to
routinely consider the risk of CVD in women with endometriosis," she
added.
The research made use of Danish registries that
included women diagnosed with endometriosis between 1977 and 2021.
In the analysis, 242,032 matched controls and
60,508 endometriosis-affected women were included. The controls were followed
for a maximum of 45 years, and the median follow-up period was 16 years.
The women with endometriosis were also likely to
be more prone to a higher risk of arrhythmias and heart failure. The study suggests
that women with endometriosis should undergo cardiovascular risk assessment and
consider female-specific risk factors in cardiovascular risk prediction models.
This research will be presented at the ongoing
European Cardiology Congress, London (August 30-September 2).
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