Endometriosis may increase the risk of stroke

This is the result of an American study read for you by Professor Geneviève Plu-Bureau and Dr Brigitte Tébéka, gynecologists and ambassadors for Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes.

Endometriosis is a common gynecological pathology, affecting an estimated 10% of women. Unfortunately, it is still diagnosed too late. The symptoms vary greatly, but one of the main symptoms is pain at the time of menstruation, also known as dysmenorrhea, which can be very disabling, leading to frequent absenteeism from school and/or frequent work stoppages for young girls due to the intensity of the pain.

This is a chronic inflammatory disease, and in this context researchers are interested in the potential long-term cardiovascular link. To date, few epidemiological studies have been carried out concerning both the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke.

In a study to be published in the prestigious journal STROKE in October 2022, the relationship between the presence of proven endometriosis (by surgery) and the diagnosis of stroke has been analyzed. Thus, data from 112,056 women, aged between 25 and 42, could be analyzed from the large epidemiological study of American nurses (Nurse Health Study II), followed up between 1989 and 2017.
The investigators first identified women with stroke during follow-up (893 women) and then calculated the risk of its occurrence according to the presence of endometriosis, compared with women without endometriosis.

Their results were adjusted for numerous risk factors: age, ethnicity, level of education, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, menstrual cycle history, number of pregnancies, family history of cardiovascular disease, physical activity...

The results show that in cases of endometriosis, the risk of stroke is 34% greater compared with women who have never suffered from endometriosis. What's more, the authors find that this association is identical regardless of age, possible history of infertility, body mass index or menopausal status.

Key messages for positive prevention:
In cases of endometriosis, it is therefore important to control vascular risk factors, promote all preventive lifestyle measures such as physical exercise, stopping smoking and alcohol, maintaining a fit weight as well as a well-balanced blood pressure, and inform the patient of the need for regular cardiovascular medical follow-up.

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