Endometriosis, Anxiety, and Atherosclerosis: A Study of Eight Million Young Hospitalized Women in the USA

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, several studies have proposed an association between endometriosis and various cardiovascular diseases. Our study evaluated the association between endometriosis and atherosclerosis in patients under 35 years of age using a large population database. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional retrospective population-based study. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: We used the data of more than eight million hospitalized women under 35 years of age who were registered in one of the hospitals participating in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project - National Inpatient Sample (HCUP NIS) during the study period of 2007-2014. The prevalence of endometriosis, atherosclerosis, and related conditions was estimated, and logistic regression model was used to examine the association. RESULTS: In the period of study of 8,061,754 patients, we noted an upward pattern for the prevalence of atherosclerosis and a downward trend for endometriosis. Adjusting the analysis for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities, the probability of being diagnosed with atherosclerosis was 42% higher in patients with endometriosis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.421; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.058-1.910); 35% higher in patients with anxiety (OR = 1.352; 95% CI: 1.249-1.464); and three times higher in women with both endometriosis and anxiety (OR = 3.075; 95% CI: 1.969-4.803) compared to women without those conditions. LIMITATIONS: In HCUP NIS databases, some information such as the severity of disease, laboratory findings, or medical treatment is not available. CONCLUSION: The strong association between endometriosis and atherosclerosis suggests that they may share a similar mechanism possibly endothelial dysfunction related to chronic inflammation. Further studies on the potential role of psychological conditions, such as anxiety, on systemic inflammatory diseases are also deemed timely and important.