Share on PinterestFibroids were linked to 81% higher heart disease risk in a new study. Image credit: Maskot/Getty Images
- Researchers affiliated with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia recently studied the relationship between uterine fibroids and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
- The researchers sought to expand on prior research regarding the potential connection between fibroids and cardiovascular heart disease.
- They found a strong association between uterine fibroids and heart disease, as individuals with fibroids had around an 80% higher chance of developing heart disease compared to those without fibroids.
Uterine fibroids are common and affect many women. While some do not experience symptoms when they have fibroids, others have symptoms such as heavy periods, pelvic pressure, or pain.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that the impact of developing uterine fibroids may go beyond reproductive health.
The study, which built on previous research, found that individuals with uterine fibroids may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
While the study does not prove that fibroids directly cause heart problems, it does show that the two conditions may be connected.
Fibroids and heart disease: What is the connection?
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that form in the smooth muscle of the uterus and may affect up to 80% of women by age 50. Fibroids can vary in size from the size of an apple seed to as big as a grapefruit.
Some treatment options for fibroids include:
- medication, such as ibuprofen, to manage pain
- birth control pills to reduce fibroid size
- surgery to disrupt the blood flow to fibroids
- surgery to remove the fibroids.
The treatment depends on the severity of the fibroid symptoms, and doctors may try less invasive options first.
The researchers in the current study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between uterine fibroids and cardiovascular risk.
The scientists compared about 450,000 women who had received a diagnosis of fibroids to over 2.25 million women without fibroids. The participants were between 18 and 50 years old.
Additionally, the study included only women with no history of hysterectomy, menopause, or cardiovascular disease.
The researchers then tracked the participants for up to 10 years or until they developed cardiovascular disease for the first time. They looked for events such as heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease.
The researchers matched each woman with fibroids to five women of the same age who had no record of fibroids.
How fibroids affect heart risk over 10 years
The researchers created two groups: the fibroid group and the comparison group.
There were about 6.5 cardiovascular events per 1,000 person-years in the fibroid group and about three events per 1,000 person-years in the comparison group.
Women with fibroids consistently had higher rates of heart-related problems at both 1 year and 10 years after diagnosis.
Over a 1-year period, those with fibroids had a higher risk of developing heart conditions, and this risk grew over time.
After 10 years, people with fibroids had a 5.4% risk of cardiovascular problems compared with 3% in those without fibroids.
When the researchers adjusted for other risk factors such as race, body weight, smoking, diabetes, and blood pressure, women with fibroids still had an 81% higher risk of major cardiovascular disease over 10 years.
Participants under 40 years old had the largest risk increase compared to older participants, and their 10-year risk was more than three times higher than that of the comparison group.
The study authors emphasized that further research is necessary to confirm the connection and understand the underlying mechanisms.
Fibroids and cardiovascular disease Is inflammation the common denominator?
Barbara Levy, MD, FACOG, Chief Medical Officer at Visana Health, who was not involved in this research, weighed in on the study for Medical News Today. She said the connection between fibroids and heart disease is not surprising.
“Systemic inflammation is a common denominator predisposing to uterine fibroids and to [atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease],” Levy said.
However, she cautioned that fibroids themselves cannot be considered a direct cause of cardiovascular disease.
“I don’t think we can infer that fibroids ’cause’ inflammation and predispose to [atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease]. But I do think that inflammation is a root cause for both symptomatic uterine fibroids and [atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease].”
– Barbara Levy, MD, FACOG
Levy cautioned against overreacting to the findings, noting that the majority of women with fibroids do not need immediate cardiac evaluation, but instead said they should focus on reducing inflammation.
“I do want women to understand the factors that drive systemic inflammation and try to mitigate them,” she emphasized.
She added that insulin resistance, poor sleep, chronic stress, and high body fat can contribute to systemic inflammation. Levy suggested making dietary changes, exercising regularly, and maintaining good sleep hygiene.
Natalya Danilyants, MD, FACOG, a surgeon at Center for Innovative GYN Care, likewise not involved in this research, said the study shows why healthcare providers need to take fibroids more seriously.
“This newly released study by the Journal of the American Heart Association adds to a growing body of evidence showing that fibroids affect far more than the uterus,” said Danilyants.
“For years, the systemic impact of fibroids has been underestimated, in part because many women are not referred to specialists trained to treat them definitively,” explained Danilyants.
Danilyants noted that surgeons who remove fibroids using minimally invasive techniques often see patients experience relief from ongoing pain and inflammation after the procedure.
“It’s time we start viewing fibroid removal as preventive health, not elective care,” Danilyants stated.
