Uterine fibroids and cardiovascular risk.

• Published in: Human Reproduction
• Main Authors: Uimari, O, Auvinen, J, Jokelainen, J, Puukka, K, Ruokonen, A, Järvelin, M, Piltonen, T, Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi, S, Zondervan, K, Järvelä, I, Ryynänen, M, Martikainen, H
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2016
• Subjects: Northern Finland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dew249; https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:fa119d42-6060-4c72-8762-4628db1f39ab

STUDY QUESTION: Are uterine fibroids associated with increased cardiovascular risk? SUMMARY ANSWER: This study reports an association between increased serum lipids and metabolic syndrome with an increased risk of uterine fibroids. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Recent studies suggest similarities in biological disease mechanisms and risk factors for fibroids and atherosclerosis: obesity, hypertension and abnormal serum lipids. These findings are awaiting confirmation that a population-based follow-up study could offer with extensive health examination data collection linked with a national hospital discharge register. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: The Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC1966) is a population-based long-term follow-up study including all children with estimated date of delivery in 1966 in the Northern Finland area. The data were collected from national registries, postal questionnaires and clinical health examinations. The study population for this study comprised all females included in the NFBC1966 that underwent an extensive clinical health examination at age 46 years (n = 3635). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: All females included in the NFBC1966 who were alive and traceable (n = 5118) were invited for the 46-year follow-up study; 3268 (63.9%) responded, returned the postal questionnaire and attended the clinical examination. Uterine fibroid cases were identified through the national hospital discharge register that has data on disease diagnoses based on WHO ICD-codes. Uterine fibroid codes, ICD-9: 218 and ICD-10: D25 were used for case identification. Self-reported fibroid cases were identified through the postal questionnaire. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A total of 729 fibroid cases were identified, including 293 based on hospital discharge registries. With adjustment for BMI, parity, education and current use of exogenous hormones the risk of prevalent fibroids rose significantly for every 1 mmol/l increase in LDL (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26 for all cases) and triglycerides ...