Endometriosis And Heart Disease

This equates to a three-fold increase of having coronary heart disease related conditions such as chest pain or heart attacks which may require treatment such as stenting or bypass of any blocked arteries. 

Treatment of endometriosis, which may entail surgical removal of the ovaries, will result in menopause which in itself can also increase the risk of coronary heart disease by 40%. Other possible causes for the increased risk of coronary heart disease in patients with endometriosis can include increased cholesterol levels, chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress which results in the exposure to free radicals. These conditions are often associated with patients diagnosed with endometriosis.

Management of endometriosis

The treatment of endometriosis can include oral medications for pain relief and hormonal regulation in order to control the symptoms. Surgical procedures can also be performed if the endometriosis is complicated or not controlling on the oral medication. The prevention or management of heart disease is also very important here.

Oral medication

• Pain medication - these can include paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen and sometimes even opioids.
• Hormone therapy - hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches or vaginal rings) help to control the hormones responsible for the accumulation of endometrial tissue. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) agonists and antagonists and agonists cause estrogen levels to decrease and this leads to prevention of menstruation. Meproxyprogesterone can also stop menstruation from occurring and reduces the growth of abnormal endometrial tissue. Danazol suppresses the growth of endometrial tissue but it may not be the first choice drug since it can cause serious side-effects.

READ Endometriosis, Fertility And Infertility

Surgery

• Conservative surgery - this is a laparoscopic procedure where as much of the abnormally deposited endometrial tissue is removed. 
• Hysterectomy - complete removal of the uterus and cervix is considered to be done as a last resort procedure which will only be performed in severe cases. The ovaries can also be removed (oophorectomy) in order to reduce the estrogen levels and therefore stop stimulation of the endometrial tissue. 

Other treatments

In-vitro fertilization can be considered as an alternative to conservative surgery, especially for women who are still looking to conceive or if conservative surgery hasn't been effective.