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Hormones tied to uterine fibroid risk

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Having high levels of the hormones testosterone and oestrogen in mid-life may boost a woman's risk of benign tumours in the uterus called uterine fibroids, a new study suggests.

Role of testosterone

"Our findings are particularly interesting because testosterone was previously unrecognised as a factor in the development of uterine fibroids," study co-author Dr Jennifer Lee, from Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a news release from the Endocrine Society.

The study included nearly 1,400 women who had their testosterone and oestrogen levels checked nearly every year for 13 years.

Read: Fibroids: What are the options?

Those with high levels of testosterone in their blood were 1.3 times more likely to develop uterine fibroids than those with low levels, and the risk was even greater in those with high levels of testosterone and oestrogen, the investigators found.

But while women with high levels of both hormones were more likely to have one case of uterine fibroids, they were less likely to develop them again than those with low levels of the hormones, according to the study published on 15 December in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Read: New ways to zap uterine fibroids 

While testosterone is often called a male sex hormone, women also naturally produce small amounts of it, the study authors explained.

New ways needed to treat the condition

"Our research suggests women undergoing the menopausal transition who have higher testosterone levels have an increased risk of developing fibroids, particularly if they also have higher oestrogen levels," study co-author Jason Wong, from Stanford University School of Medicine in California, said in the news release.

Three-quarters of women develop uterine fibroids by age 50, according to Wong.

Read: Green tea may help treat uterine fibroids

Lee added that "the research opens up new lines of inquiry regarding how fibroids develop and how they are treated. Given that managing uterine fibroids costs an estimated $34.4 billion in annual medical expenditures nationwide, it is important to identify new ways to better treat this common condition," she said.

Problems related to uterine fibroids include irregular bleeding, pelvic pain, infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and other reproductive complications.

While the study found an association between hormone levels and risk of uterine fibroids, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. 

Read more:

Childhood abuse tied to uterine fibroids  

Women with uterine fibroids put off treatment  

Drug may shrink fibroids 

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