Endometriosis - Risk Factors

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Associated Medical Conditions

Various disorders occur in greater rates in women who have endometriosis. In some cases, these disorders and endometriosis may be caused by common factors, but it is not clear what they are.

They include:

• Certain cancers, particularly for early-onset breast and ovarian cancers, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and melanoma.
• Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. In all of these diseases, the immune system launches a destructive inflammatory response against the body's own cells (which differ in location depending on the disease). These are uncommon disorders, but in a major 2002 survey of women with endometriosis, they occurred in 12% of these women. This provides some support to the theory that endometriosis, too, is an autoimmune condition.
• Hypothyroidism. In the same 2002 survey mentioned above, 42% of women had low thyroid or some other hormonal disorder.
• Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. In the same survey, 31% reported one of these conditions.
• Diabetes.
• Allergies and asthma. Endometriosis is more prevalent in women with a family history of asthma and allergies, including food and skin allergies and hay fever.
• Migraine. A small 2006 study suggested that women who have migraine headaches are at increased risk of endometriosis.

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Other Factors Associated with Endometriosis

Some studies have reported a higher incidence of certain factors in women with endometriosis:

• Women with endometriosis tend to be taller and thinner than average.
• Women with red hair have an increased risk for endometriosis. Experts guess that the gene determining red hair might be located near other genes that make such women susceptible to endometriosis.

Alcohol and caffeine use have been associated with a higher risk.

Review Date: 06/13/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital