Kaiser Permanente study finds greater risk of fibroid diagnosis among midlife women with untreated high blood pressure.
New research from Kaiser Permanente finds a link between high blood pressure — hypertension — and uterine fibroids in midlife women. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests treating hypertension could play a role in preventing fibroids, a common condition for which there is currently no preventive treatment.
“Finding a potential mechanism by which hyptertension may increase fibroid risk could lead to new treatment options for fibroids, which would be a big step forward,” said lead author Susanna Mitro, PhD, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (DOR). “This study is a first step that does not necessarily support a change in medical practice, but does confirm in a high-quality way that hypertension increases risk of fibroids.”
Uterine fibroids are a common, non-cancerous condition that an estimated 70% to 80% of women develop by age 50. Fibroids can grow large and numerous, causing pain, interference with fertility, and other problems. They are the most common non-cancer reason women have their uterus removed through hysterectomy.
The researchers analyzed data from 2,570 women between the age of 42 and 52 who had not been previously diagnosed with uterine fibroids. The women participated in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multi-site study that has followed patients from enrollment in the mid-1990s through 13 semi-annual visits. SWAN researchers collected data about a number of health issues, including blood pressure, fibroid diagnoses, and treatment with any of 6 different classes of hypertension medication.
