Blood sugar treatment: From 1996 to 2021, researchers tracked nearly three million women in a population-based database in Utah, and a new study shows shocking results related to type 2 diabetes.
The researchers, led by researchers at George Mason University in the United States, followed nearly three million women around the world Utah population database Between 1996 and 2021, including nearly 100,000 people diagnosed with endometriosis.
“Endometriosis was associated with a 46% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to no endometriosis,” the researchers wrote.
The team found that the risk of developing diabetes varies between different forms of endometriosis, suggesting that the condition may have broader long-term health implications than previously recognised.
Chronic inflammation in the endometrium could contribute to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, although further studies will be important to clarify the biological pathways behind the observations, according to findings published in the journal Diabetologia.
“Previous studies have largely evaluated endometriosis as a single condition and generally reported little or no overall association with type 2 diabetes,” said study lead author Vozak Nunziato, of George Mason University School of Public Health.
“Our findings add to the growing understanding that endometriosis may affect more than reproductive health alone,” Nunziato said.
Furthermore, some forms of endometriosis have been found to have a much stronger association with diabetes, compared to other types. The association was greater among women with extrapelvic endometriosis, meaning the disease is located outside the pelvis.
These findings, if confirmed by future research, could help doctors identify women with endometriosis who are potentially at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and who could benefit from early screening or prevention efforts, the researchers said.
