 Women with PCOS, 65 percent more likely to develop fibroids
By David Douglas
Thu Jun 7, 4:25 PM ET
A large study of African-American women indicates that those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to suffer from fibroids.
PCOS is a hormone disorder that causes ovaries to develop multiple cysts, and is usually accompanied by lack of ovulation, weight gain and other problems.
"Our study is the first to report an association between PCOS and uterine fibroids, both of which are common diseases in women of childbearing age," Dr. Lauren A. Wise told Reuters Health.
However, she added, "we cannot rule out the possibility" that, because women with PCOS require more medical attention, any fibroids are more likely to be discovered.
As reported in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, Wise, at Boston University, Massachusetts, and colleagues followed 23,571 women who at the beginning of the study had no history of fibroids.
Over 6 years of follow-up, there were 3631 new cases of fibroids and PCOS was reported in 275 of subjects overall. After taking account of other factors, women with PCOS were 65 percent more likely to develop fibroids than were women without the condition.
"If other studies confirm this association, it suggests that women with PCOS would benefit from being monitored closely for the presence of uterine fibroids in addition to other conditions commonly associated with PCOS, including obesity, diabetes, and endometrial cancer," Wise concluded.
SOURCE: Fertility and Sterility, May 2007.
REUTERS
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