Endometriosis and Fibroids: Uncovering Their History and Long-Term Risks of Early Death

Endometriosis and Fibroids: Uncovering Their History and Long-Term Risks of Early Death

November 25, 2024 Catherine Williams - Chief Editor Health

Higher Risk of Early Death Linked to Endometriosis and Uterine Fibroids

A recent study highlights that endometriosis is associated with a 31% higher risk of early death. This risk includes increased mortality from gynecological cancers, nervous system diseases, and respiratory conditions.

Understanding Premature Mortality

Premature deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) claimed 15.6 million lives globally in 2019, accounting for 76% of total premature deaths. Key factors include cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and respiratory diseases. Endometriosis and uterine fibroids affect 10% and 15-30% of women of reproductive age, respectively. Both conditions share genetic factors and may cause similar immune, hormonal, and inflammatory reactions.

Study Overview

The study analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study II, involving nearly 110,000 women in the U.S. Researchers followed these women for 30 years to evaluate the impact of endometriosis and uterine fibroids on premature mortality. Key findings included the following:

  • Women with endometriosis faced a 19% higher risk of early death, which increased to 31% after adjusting for factors like age and lifestyle.
  • The study recorded 1,459 premature deaths from cancer, 304 from CVD, and 90 from respiratory diseases.
  • Women with endometriosis were more likely to experience infertility (52%) and underwent surgeries like hysterectomy more often than those without the condition.

Increased Mortality Risks

  • Endometriosis doubled the risk of respiratory disease-related premature death and increased the likelihood of nervous system disorders by 2.5 times.
  • Women with uterine fibroids had a 2.32-fold increased risk of dying from gynecological cancers, although fibroids did not elevate the overall risk of premature death.
  • The combination of both conditions resulted in a 61% higher risk of developing CVD.

Conclusions from the Research

The findings confirm that women with endometriosis and uterine fibroids face higher risks of premature death, even after their reproductive years. The most significant risk lies in dying from gynecological cancers. These results underline the need for healthcare providers to consider these conditions as risk factors in women’s health assessments.

For more detailed information, refer to the study published in The BMJ here.

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