Endometriosis: a high-risk population for major chronic diseases?

in Human reproduction update by Marina Kvaskoff, Fan Mu, Kathryn L Terry, Holly R Harris, Elizabeth M Poole, Leslie Farland, Stacey A Missmer

TLDR

  • The study investigated the associations between endometriosis and various chronic diseases, finding that endometriosis patients are at higher risk of several diseases and decreased risk of others.
  • The findings have important implications for screening practices and management of endometriosis patients.

Abstract

Despite an estimated prevalence of 10% in women, the etiology of endometriosis remains poorly understood. Over recent decades, endometriosis has been associated with risk of several chronic diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma/atopic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. A deeper understanding of these associations is needed as they may provide new leads into the causes or consequences of endometriosis. This review summarizes the available epidemiological findings on the associations between endometriosis and other chronic diseases and discusses hypotheses for underlying mechanisms, potential sources of bias and methodological complexities. We performed a comprehensive search of the PubMed/Medline and ISI Web of Knowledge databases for all studies reporting on the associations between endometriosis and other diseases published in English through to May 2014, using numerous search terms. We additionally examined the reference lists of all identified papers to capture any additional articles that were not identified through computer searches. We identified 21 studies on the associations between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, 14 for breast cancer, 8 for endometrial cancer, 4 for cervical cancer, 12 for cutaneous melanoma and 3 for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as well as 9 on the links between endometriosis and autoimmune diseases, 6 on the links with asthma and atopic diseases, and 4 on the links with cardiovascular diseases. Endometriosis patients were reported to be at higher risk of ovarian and breast cancers, cutaneous melanoma, asthma, and some autoimmune, cardiovascular and atopic diseases, and at decreased risk of cervical cancer. Increasing evidence suggests that endometriosis patients are at higher risk of several chronic diseases. Although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood, the available data to date suggest that endometriosis is not harmless with respects to women's long-term health. If these relationships are confirmed, these findings may have important implications in screening practices and in the management and care of endometriosis patients.

Overview

  • The study aimed to investigate the association between endometriosis and various chronic diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma/atopic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
  • The researchers conducted a comprehensive search of relevant studies published in English through May 2014, examining the PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge databases, and reference lists of identified papers.
  • The study aims to identify the relationships between endometriosis and these chronic diseases, providing insights into potential causes or consequences of endometriosis and informing screening practices and management of the condition.

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study found that endometriosis patients were at higher risk of ovarian and breast cancers, cutaneous melanoma, asthma, and some autoimmune, cardiovascular, and atopic diseases.
  • However, the patients were also found to be at decreased risk of cervical cancer.
  • The findings suggest that endometriosis is not harmless with respect to women's long-term health, and the relationships identified may have important implications for screening practices and management of the condition.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study's findings have significant implications for the management and care of endometriosis patients, highlighting the need for further research into the underlying mechanisms of these associations.
  • Future research should aim to confirm the relationships identified and explore potential biomarkers for early detection and intervention.
  • Understanding the mechanisms underlying the associations between endometriosis and chronic diseases may also provide new leads into the causes or consequences of endometriosis itself.
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