Abdominal pain in women may indicate heart disease risk

Menstrual and pelvic pain may indicate endometriosis
Stressful menstrual problems and pain in the pelvic area can be triggered in women by a so-called endometriosis. However, most sufferers do not know what causes their problems. In the US alone, about five million women are affected by the disease, which in turn can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Some women suffer from severe pelvic pain during their period. These can be associated with excess growth of the endometrium. Researchers at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that so-called endometriosis causes pain and can lead to infertility. In addition, the risk of coronary heart disease is increased. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes".

Stressful menstrual cramps and pelvic pain may be signs of endometriosis. Such a disease can lead to serious heart disease in women. (Image: inesbazdar / fotolia.com)

There is currently no complete cure for endometriosis
Endometriosis affects the uterine tissue. The disease can grow on the ovaries, behind the uterus, on the colon or bladder. Many girls and women are unaware that distressing menstrual and pelvic pain is sometimes due to endometriosis, lead author Missmer said in a statement to Reuters. According to the expert, girls and women can be treated by an operation that removes the endometrial implants, or they use hormonal drugs to treat the condition. But there is currently no complete cure, Missmer explained. The researchers used data from more than 116,000 women from a long-term study that ran from 1989 to 2009 for their study. Among the subjects were about 5,200 women with surgically confirmed endometriosis, say the experts.

Women with endometriosis have a three-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease
Women with endometriosis more frequently developed a heart attack and needed more often a coronary bypass or a stent operation. In addition, sufferers often suffer from tightness and chest pain, which can be a sign of coronary heart disease, explain the doctors. The increased risk for these conditions mostly affected women up to the age of 40 years. Women with endometriosis were three times more likely to have heart disease than women without endometriosis. The risk of developing heart disease as a result of endometriosis decreased with age, say the scientists.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women
If women were able to remove their uterus or ovaries, it increased their risk of some chronic inflammation, the doctors report. Chronic inflammation in turn leads to increased oxidative stress and high cholesterol levels. In conjunction with endometriosis, this compound may increase the risk of heart disease, Missmer said. Endometriosis and coronary heart disease may also share common genetic susceptibility. Surgical and hormonal treatment following diagnosis of endometriosis may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease, but some risk remains and can not be completely eliminated, say the experts. It is important for affected women of all ages to respect a healthy lifestyle. In addition, regular examinations for heart disease should be carried out by doctors, because even today, heart disease is still the leading cause of death among women, the doctors warn. However, further research is needed to better understand relationships and effects. (As)