Endometriosis may increase risk of heart attack in women by 35 percent, finds study

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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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