The study reveals a relationship between traumatic experiences and the risk of endometriosis

Can past injuries shape physical health in women? Last study published in He examined the relationship between traumatic experiences and endometriosis, a painful condition affecting millions of women around the world.

Using observation and genetic data, scientists have studied whether the history of injury and genetic predispositions play a role in the risk of endometriosis. Discoveries can change the way we understand and examine this chronic disease.

Women’s reproductive and mental health

Endometriosis is a devastating condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, causing pain, inflammationand fertility problems. Although it affects almost 10-15% of women of childbearing age, its exact causes remain unclear.

While genetic factors play a role, emerging studies suggest that environmental influences, including stress and injury, can contribute. In addition, many women struggle with many years of incorrect diagnosis and ineffective treatment methods, because the current diagnostic tools and therapeutic options remain limited.

Earlier research identified the connections between endometriosis and mental health problems, especially anxiety and depression. Recent genetic studies also indicate a possible common biological trail between endometriosis and mental disorders.

In addition, while the relationship between adversities of early life and chronic diseases has been well documented, little research was directly examined how different types of injury, such as childhood abuse, intimate violence and extreme stress, affect the risk of endometriosis.

About the study

This study analyzed data from Great Britain (UK) Biobank for over 8,000 women with endometriosis and over 240,000 controls.

Scientists assessed the relationship between traumatic experiences, such as childhood abuse, sexual assault and violence crimes, and endometriosis using statistical models that took into account age, social and economic status and origin.

The stories of the injury reported by them have been divided into various types, including interpersonal trauma, non -interpreter trauma, contact trauma and non -contact injury.

To further examine the potential genetic influence, the study included analyzes of associations in the entire genome of large data sets, including over 21,000 patients of European origin and almost 2,000 East Asia origin.

Scientists have examined polygenic risk results to assess whether genetic susceptibility to injury, such as post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), correlated with an increased risk of endometriosis. Exposure patterns were also examined to injuries in women with and without endometriosis.

This approach allowed researchers to classify participants in various categories of response injury, providing insight into how different types of trauma can refer to endometriosis.

Polygenic risk also assessed whether genetic susceptibility to endometriosis was affected by exposure to traumatic events, helping to determine whether the injury acted as a trigger in genetically predisposed.

Results

The study showed that women with endometriosis have more often reported traumatic experiences compared to people without a state. Contact traumas, including physical and sexual abuse, had the strongest association.

For example, women who experienced abuse of childhood or interpersonal injury had a better chance of developing endometriosis than those that have never faced such events. These compounds remained significant even after adapting to misleading factors, such as age and social and economic origin.

Further analysis showed that endometriosis was particularly associated with specific types of trauma, including child abuse, partner violence and experience of serious emotional stress.

Women who reported many traumatic events had an even greater risk, which indicates a possible accumulated impact of exposure to injury to the development of the disease.

In addition, it was found that women with endometriosis have increased chances of experience related to stress, such as anxiety and depression, additionally strengthen the relationship between mental health and endometriosis.

Genetic analysis also showed a significant correlation between endometriosis and PTSD, which suggests a common genetic basis. In particular, genetic risk factors associated with PTSD and childhood abuse showed overlapping on factors related to endometriosis.

The study showed that people with a higher polygenic risk for PTSD also developed endometriosis more often.

However, while both trauma and genetic predispositions have independently affected the risk of endometriosis, no direct interaction between them was observed.

This means that although women with a genetic predisposition to endometriosis and the history of injury become in the face of higher risk, the injury itself does not directly trigger endometriosis in genetically predisposed people.

The study also emphasized several restrictions. Scientists discussed how the stories of injuries they report can have an impact of the bias of withdrawal, and relying the study from European genetic data limited the use of results to other populations.

In addition, although the results of genetic correlation suggested joint biological mechanisms, further research is necessary to explain the exact routes combining trauma and endometriosis.

Conclusions

In general, the study provided convincing evidence that traumatic experiences and genetic predispositions contribute to the risk of endometriosis.

Although the exact biological mechanisms remain unclear, these discoveries emphasized the importance of consideration of psychological history in screening and diagnosis of endometriosis.

Considering the relationship between endometriosis and genetic factors related to PTSD, scientists believe that future research should examine whether targeted interventions, such as mental health support or stress reducing therapies, can alleviate the impact of injury on the development of endometriosis.