Women With a Higher BMI May Have a Lower Risk of Endometriosis

Based on the results of these studies, the researchers calculated that the risk of endometriosis fell by 33% with each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI. Moreover, obese women (defined as having a BMI between 30 and 40) had 11% less chance of developing the condition than women with a normal weight. However, this numerically lower risk was not statistically significant.

A higher body mass index (BMI) may be associated with a lower risk of endometriosis, suggests a study published in the medical journal Oncotarget.

The researchers warned that despite rigorous analysis, the findings may also be the result of negative bias in diagnosing obese women who may be less likely to be offered a surgical intervention. Further work is needed to clarify the relationship between BMI and the risk of endometriosis, they said.

For the study, a team of researchers at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in China conducted a meta-analysis to elucidate the role of BMI in the risk of endometriosis. They searched the literature through November 2016 for relevant studies and identified 11 publications reporting both endometriosis and the current BMI of the women. The studies comprised a total of 9,298 women.

Based on the results of these studies, the researchers calculated that the risk of endometriosis fell by 33% with each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI. Moreover, obese women (defined as having a BMI between 30 and 40) had 11% less chance of developing the condition than women with a normal weight. However, this numerically lower risk was not statistically significant.

When the researchers took into account the women’s fertility, they found that infertile women with a high BMI had a lower risk of endometriosis compared to fertile women with a high BMI.

The association between BMI and endometriosis became weaker when the researcher considered all the other factors known to influence the risk of endometriosis such as smoking, period length, and age at first period. Research from different parts of the world produced similar results.

“This study suggested that higher body mass index may be associated with lower risk of endometriosis,” the authors concluded. “Large cohort studies are needed to confirm this inverse association,” they added.

Risk factors associated with endometriosis are poorly described. Previous research has sought to establish a relationship between a woman’s weight and height and her risk of endometriosis, but these have produced conflicting results.

Research Source: http://www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path[]=14916&pubmed-linkout=1