Large and slim girls tend to suffer from endometriosis later

Monthly agony for every tenth woman

Endometriosis not only reduces the quality of life for those affected and causes severe pain – mostly before and during menstruation. In the worst case, it can also lead to women becoming infertile. Particularly tragic: Many women do not even know that they suffer from this disease and cannot be treated. But more and more women, such as GNTM candidate Anna Wilken, are now going public with their illness in order to educate and remove the taboos.

Around 176 million women are affected worldwide

Although so many women are affected, little is known about the disease and its causes. A new study has now shown that tall and slim girls are more likely to be affected by chronic female disease than other girls in adulthood. The researchers hope that the disease can be diagnosed more quickly in the future.

Shocking pictures: This is what endometriosis would look like if it were visible.

Study went from 1930 to 1996

To find out what the risk factors for the disease are, scientists from the Danish Center for Clinical Research and Prevention have accompanied over 170,000 women since childhood for 66 years.

The result: Girls with a higher BMI in childhood have a lower risk of developing endometriosis than girls who are tall and slim. For example, the researchers found that with a difference of 2.3 kg – in two seven-year-old girls – the lighter girl had an 8 percent higher risk of endometriosis. A taller height of around 5.2 cm led to an approximately 9 percent higher risk.

Researchers hope that the disease will be diagnosed earlier

“A critical window of time in which the disease develops is often overlooked, and women often experience diagnostic delays of several years,” says lead researcher Julie Aarestrup. “Our results suggest that risk indicators can be recognized at an earlier age, which could speed up the diagnosis, so that treatment can be started to slow the growth of endometriosis tissue.”

Pain is often downplayed

The researchers suspect that endometriosis is related to an increased level of estrogen. This is responsible for the fact that girls grow above average in puberty, but also promotes the growth of endometrial cells, which lead to proliferation of the mucous membranes outside the uterus.

The growths, also called foci, are controlled by hormones, are connected to the cycle and trigger bleeding. The problem: the blood cannot drain. This creates cysts, adhesions, scarring and inflammation, which can cause very severe pain. In some cases, other organs can even be endangered.