Women with endometriosis face 46% higher risk of type 2 diabetes – study

Women with endometriosis had a 46 per cent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those without the condition in a recent study.

The study followed data from nearly 3m women over 25 years and was described as the largest to date examining the relationship between the two conditions.

Maggie Fuzak Nunziato, a doctoral student in epidemiology at George Mason, led the research with Anna Pollack, professor of global and community health.

Researchers found that diabetes risk varied across different forms of endometriosis, suggesting the condition may have broader long-term health implications than previously recognised.

They believe chronic inflammation associated with endometriosis may play a role in metabolic health, although more research is needed to understand the connection.

Fuzak Nunziato, the study’s lead author, said: “Previous studies largely evaluated endometriosis as a single condition and generally reported little or no overall association with type 2 diabetes.

“Our findings add to a growing understanding that endometriosis may affect more than reproductive health alone.”

The association was strongest among premenopausal women and women without obesity, groups not traditionally considered to be at the highest risk of type 2 diabetes.

Endometriosis affects around one in 10 women of reproductive age.

It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus and can cause chronic pelvic pain, infertility and other complications.

If the findings are confirmed by further research, they could help clinicians identify women with endometriosis who may be at higher risk of type 2 diabetes and could benefit from earlier screening or prevention efforts.

Researchers analysed health records from nearly 3m women in the Utah Population Database between 1996 and 2021, including almost 100,000 who had been diagnosed with endometriosis.

Some forms of endometriosis had a much stronger association with diabetes than others.

The strongest link was found among women with extra-pelvic endometriosis, meaning the condition is found outside the pelvis.

The researchers stressed that the findings show an association and do not prove that endometriosis causes type 2 diabetes.

They said further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms connecting the two conditions and whether earlier metabolic screening could improve outcomes for women with endometriosis.