Anthropometric characteristics and risk of uterine leiomyoma.
BACKGROUND
The etiology of uterine leiomyoma (or fibroids) is poorly understood. Sex steroid hormones and growth factors have been hypothesized to play a role in their development, and anthropometric characteristics may influence uterine leiomyoma risk.


METHODS
We analyzed prospectively-collected data from the Nurses' Health Study II, a cohort of 116,609 female registered nurses age 25 to 42 years at baseline. Incidence of uterine leiomyoma and anthropometric characteristics were assessed every 2 years. We calculated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for known and suspected risk factors for uterine leiomyoma.


RESULTS
Uterine leiomyomas were associated with current body mass index, change in weight since age 18, and waist-to-hip ratio. However, there was little evidence of their association with body mass index at age 18, childhood or adolescent body size, or adult height.


CONCLUSIONS
Body mass and weight gain in adulthood may increase the risk of uterine leiomyoma, but body mass in early life does not.
Terry
Kathryn L
KL
Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. kterry@hsph.harvard.edu
De Vivo
Immaculata
I
Hankinson
Susan E
SE
Spiegelman
Donna
D
Wise
Lauren A
LA
Missmer
Stacey A
SA
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D049628:Body Size; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*