Atherosclerosis in women with endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to determine whether women with endometriosis have greater subclinical atherosclerosis than the general population.


METHODS
This case-control study included 66 women with endometriosis and 66 controls matched for age and body mass index. All subjects were >or=35 years old. Exclusion criteria were obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, renal or metabolic diseases. Before laparoscopy, all patients underwent a measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT) and distensibility coefficient (DC) on the common carotid artery. In addition, blood samples were taken to determine the levels of lipids, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, fasting glycemia, antithrombin III, plasminogen, protein C, protein S, and activated protein C resistance.


RESULTS
All the biochemical parameters evaluated had similar levels in the two study groups. IMT was similar in women with endometriosis and in controls both on left (p=0.330) and right (p=0.648) carotid artery. Similarly, no significant difference was observed in the DC between women with endometriosis and controls both on left (p=0.539) and right (p=0.178) carotid artery. No significant difference was observed in IMT and DC between women with mild and severe endometriosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with endometriosis do not have more subclinical atherosclerosis than the general population.
Pretta
Stefano
S
Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology and Genetics, University of Genoa, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
Remorgida
Valentino
V
Abbamonte
Luiza Helena
LH
Anserini
Paola
P
Ragni
Nicola
N
Del Sette
Massimo
M
Gandolfo
Carlo
C
Ferrero
Simone
S