One study found that individuals with PCOS are 65% more likely to develop than uterine fibroids that those without PCOS.[1]
Uterine fibroids are tumors that grow within the uterus that are typically benign or non-cancerous and do not become cancerous in >99% of cases.[2],[3] Between 20 and 50% of women of reproductive age are believed to be affected by fibroids at any point in time.[4] Uterine fibroids are up to 3x more prevalent in African American women,[5] affecting >80% of African American women by age 50 compared to 70% of Caucasian women.[6]
PCOS and uterine fibroids are generally not believed to be connected in the medical community. However, PCOS and fibroids may be linked through hormonal, metabolic and environmental factors.
One potential linkage is that of elevated levels of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) triggered by elevated levels of Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) in PCOS and believed to stimulate the rapid growth of fibroids.[7]
PCOS and uterine fibroids are both associated with alterations to the metabolism with PCOS leading to insulin resistance in some individuals and some correlation between body fat distribution and fibroid risk.[8],[9]
Both PCOS and fibroids are associated with exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs),[10] natural or synthetic chemicals which we are exposed to through cosmetics, food and beverage packaging, other goods and pesticides.[11]
There are a number of common symptoms and health complications between PCOS and uterine fibroids, including pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, irregular bleeding patterns and recurrent pregnancy loss.[12],[13],[14] These shared symptoms are a complicating factor in diagnosing one or both of these conditions.[15]
There are a variety of risk factors associated with uterine fibroids, including:[16],[17],[18]
Elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone;
Family history of fibroids;
Increasing age;
Having African American ethnicity;
High body mass index (BMI);
Having high blood pressure and / or high cholesterol;
Having diabetes;
Early onset of menarche or first period;
Not having been pregnant previously;
Having a Vitamin D deficiency; and
Consuming some food additives and / or soybean milk.
Reviewed by Riya Ganguly PhD., MBA, ICD.D, expert on technology transfer, new venture development and research facilitation
Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1876794/
[2] https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/uterine-fibroids
[3] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/uterine-fibroids
[4] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/uterine-fibroids
[5] https://www.cbc.ca/life/thegoods/fibroids-endometriosis-pcos-and-dyspareunia-a-primer-on-these-common-reproductive-problems-1.4647494
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12548202/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8033343/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9782674/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8033343/
[10] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2023.1324993/full
[11] https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine
[12] https://eastdenver.coloradowomenshealth.com/health/fibroids-polyps-cysts
[13] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/uterine-fibroids
[14] https://fibroids.com/blog/uterine-fibroids-and-polycystic-ovarian-syndrome-is-there-a-connection/
[15] https://www.usafibroidcenters.com/blog/key-differences-between-pcos-and-uterine-fibroids/
[16] https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine/conditioninfo/people-affected
[17] https://fibroids.com/blog/uterine-fibroids-and-polycystic-ovarian-syndrome-is-there-a-connection/
[18] https://www.usafibroidcenters.com/blog/key-differences-between-pcos-and-uterine-fibroids/
Other Conditions