title: Evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors in women with uterine leimyoma: is there a link with atherosclerosis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both uterine leimyoma (UL) and cardiovascular disease are public health problems affecting women at different age ranges. Smoking, obesity, and hypertension have been shown to be associated with UL in different random studies. However cardiovascular risk factors have not been evaluated systematically in patients with UL. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factors and their relation with the presence of UL.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty nine patients with the pathological diagnosis of UL and one hundred and eighty nine age matched control subjects without UL were retrospectively included in the study from our data base of the pathology and gynecology departments. Controls were patients with intact uteri who had visited the same physicians for a routine checkup that included a pelvic examination and uterine sonogram and without mention of physical findings consistent with UL. The following clinical and demographic parameters were recorded; age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia. Current cigarette smoking was defined as active smoking within the past 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of cardiovascular risk factors between with and without UL revealed that the presence of hypertension (80 (42.3%) vs 53 (28%) p=0.004) diabetes mellitus (33 (17.4%) vs. 16 (8.4%) p=0.009), smoking (31 (16.4%) vs. 11 (5.8%) p=0.001), were significantly higher in patients with UL than in control subjects. The mean-age and presence of hyperlipidemia were comparable between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed an independent and positive association of UL with the presence of hypertension (odds ratio 2.02 CI: 1.25-3.27 p=0.004), diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 2.43 CI: 1.23-4.79 p=0.010), and smoking status (odds ratio 3.46 CI: 1.65-7.22 p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have shown that major cardiovascular risk factors namely, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking are significantly and independently associated with UL. Our findings highlight the possible association of UL with atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya Univeristy, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sivri
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya Univeristy, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tülin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yalta
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya Univeristy, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sayın
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya Univeristy, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yalta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya Univeristy, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fulya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozpuyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya Univeristy, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taştekin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, IMC Hospital, Mersin Turkey.
authors.forename: Ertan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yetkin
keywords: Atherosclerosis; cardiovascular risk factors; diabetes mellitus; hypertension; smoking; uterine leimyomata (UL)