Post by PurplySparkleyJoey on Oct 5, 2002 14:35:49 GMT -5
> Yahoo! News Fri, Sep 27, 2002
>
> Study Links Endometriosis with Other Diseases
>
> LONDON (Reuters) - Women with endometriosis, a painful and chronic
> condition, have a higher risk of suffering from a range of diseases
> such as allergies, asthma and chronic fatigue syndrome, scientists
> said Friday.
>
> Up to 10% of women of childbearing age have endometriosis, which is
> caused when the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the
> abdominal cavity. It causes pain, bleeding, inflammation and fertility
> problems.
>
> Researchers in the United States who conducted a large study of women
> with the problem found that there can be a decade-long delay in
> diagnosis of endometriosis in addition to a link to other diseases.
>
> "As well as finding an increased prevalence of this wide range of
> diseases and conditions among women with endometriosis, we found that
> they reported significant pain and disability and, very worryingly,
> that there was typically a 10-year delay between the onset of pelvic
> pain and diagnosis," said Ninet Sinaii of the National Institute of
> Child Health and Human Development in Washington, DC.
>
> The scientists do not know whether endometriosis develops over time or
> whether it can occur when girls reach puberty. They are also unsure
> about whether early treatment can prevent chronic pain.
>
> Sinaii and her colleagues are urging doctors, particularly those who
> treat adolescents, to be aware that pelvic pain could mean
> endometriosis and that it is linked to other conditions.
>
> "It is vital therefore that attempts should be made to diagnose and
> treat endometriosis in adolescents," added Dr. Pamela Stratton, who
> worked on the research.
>
> The study of 3,680 women with endometriosis, which is reported in the
> journal Human Reproduction, found that 20% of the women had more than
> one disease.
>
> Chronic fatigue syndrome, which involves muscle weakness and other
> physical and psychological symptoms, was 100 times more common in the
> women than in the general population. An underactive thyroid gland was
> seven times as common.
>
> Autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis in
> which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, were also more
> common, as was multiple sclerosis.
>
> Two-thirds of the women reported having relatives with either
> confirmed or suspected endometriosis, suggesting it may run in
> families.
>
> "These findings also suggest a strong association between
> endometriosis and auto-immune disorders and indicate the need to
> consider the co-existence of other conditions in women with
> endometriosis," Sinaii added.
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
> Copyright © 2002 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
>
> Study Links Endometriosis with Other Diseases
>
> LONDON (Reuters) - Women with endometriosis, a painful and chronic
> condition, have a higher risk of suffering from a range of diseases
> such as allergies, asthma and chronic fatigue syndrome, scientists
> said Friday.
>
> Up to 10% of women of childbearing age have endometriosis, which is
> caused when the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the
> abdominal cavity. It causes pain, bleeding, inflammation and fertility
> problems.
>
> Researchers in the United States who conducted a large study of women
> with the problem found that there can be a decade-long delay in
> diagnosis of endometriosis in addition to a link to other diseases.
>
> "As well as finding an increased prevalence of this wide range of
> diseases and conditions among women with endometriosis, we found that
> they reported significant pain and disability and, very worryingly,
> that there was typically a 10-year delay between the onset of pelvic
> pain and diagnosis," said Ninet Sinaii of the National Institute of
> Child Health and Human Development in Washington, DC.
>
> The scientists do not know whether endometriosis develops over time or
> whether it can occur when girls reach puberty. They are also unsure
> about whether early treatment can prevent chronic pain.
>
> Sinaii and her colleagues are urging doctors, particularly those who
> treat adolescents, to be aware that pelvic pain could mean
> endometriosis and that it is linked to other conditions.
>
> "It is vital therefore that attempts should be made to diagnose and
> treat endometriosis in adolescents," added Dr. Pamela Stratton, who
> worked on the research.
>
> The study of 3,680 women with endometriosis, which is reported in the
> journal Human Reproduction, found that 20% of the women had more than
> one disease.
>
> Chronic fatigue syndrome, which involves muscle weakness and other
> physical and psychological symptoms, was 100 times more common in the
> women than in the general population. An underactive thyroid gland was
> seven times as common.
>
> Autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis in
> which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues, were also more
> common, as was multiple sclerosis.
>
> Two-thirds of the women reported having relatives with either
> confirmed or suspected endometriosis, suggesting it may run in
> families.
>
> "These findings also suggest a strong association between
> endometriosis and auto-immune disorders and indicate the need to
> consider the co-existence of other conditions in women with
> endometriosis," Sinaii added.
> _________________________________________________________________
>
> Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
> Copyright © 2002 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.