Women with endometriosis, a painful uterus condition, may be at a higher risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), a new study suggests.
The link was found to be strongest among young women. Having had a hysterectomy or oophorectomy was also tied to a higher risk of CHD, which explained partially the association between endometriosis and CHD.
Researchers analysed the potential connection between laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and subsequent CHD among 116,430 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II (1989–2009). Excluded from the study were those with a history of heart disease and stroke.
Women with endometriosis had a higher risk of myocardial infarction, angiographically confirmed angina, coronary artery bypass graft surgery/coronary angioplasty procedure/stent, or any of these CHD endpoint combined when compared with women without the gynecologic disease.
The result was independent of potential demographic, anthropometric, family history, reproductive, and lifestyle confounders.
Relative risk for the combined CHD endpoint was highest among women aged ≤40 years and decreased as age increased (40<age≤50 years, 50<age≤55 years and age >55 years.
Women who had hysterectomy/oophorectomy had a higher risk of combined CHD compared with those who had not undergone the procedure. Greater frequency of hysterectomy/oophorectomy and earlier age at surgery after endometriosis diagnosis explain the 42 percent association between the gynaecologic condition and CHD.