Researchers from the University of Queensland have contributed to the largest genetic study of endometriosis ever conducted, uncovering new information regarding the variants that raise the risk of the condition.
According to the study, there is a connection between endometriosis genetic risk factors and other chronic pain conditions like migraine, back pain, and multi-site pain.
In order to compare the DNA codes of more than 60,000 women with endometriosis and 700,000 women without the condition, Dr. Sally Mortlock and Professor Grant Montgomery from the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience worked with researchers from the University of Oxford and 24 teams from around the world.Endometrium, a tissue that resembles the uterus’ lining and grows outside the uterus, is the primary cause of the severe inflammatory condition endometriosis.
It affects 1 in 9 women of reproductive age, or 190 million women worldwide, and can result in infertility as well as chronic and severe pelvic pain, exhaustion, depression, and anxiety.
The study, according to Professor Montgomery, who has spent more than 20 years researching the genetics of endometriosis, was a significant step toward better diagnosis and treatment.More thorough genetic information puts us in a much better position to be able to accelerate the diagnosis of endometriosis, according to Professor Montgomery, who noted that the process currently takes 8 to 10 years.
According to Dr. Mortlock, the shared genetic basis for endometriosis and other pain conditions that appear unrelated to one another could be a sign of the central nervous system becoming more sensitive.
According to Dr. Mortlock, this increases a person’s vulnerability to other types of pain.
New treatment options for endometriosis are made possible by the findings.
