Gene research gives hope for women with endometriosis
Researchers have identified two genetic variants that increase the risk of women developing endometriosis.
The genomes of 5,500 women with the condition from the UK, US and Australia were compared to those of 10,000 healthy volunteers.
The Nature Genetics study could lead to more effective treatments and diagnosis, researchers said.
An endometriosis charity said more research was needed to show how this could lead to better treatments.
Researchers from the University of Oxford, the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia and Harvard Medical School, Boston were all involved in the study.
They say their findings provide clues to why endometriosis occurs.
They identified chromosome 1 and chromosome 7 as being crucial to a women's risk of developing the condition.
Chromosome 7 is thought to be involved in regulating genes which develop the womb and its lining, the study says, while chromosome 1 is close to a gene which is important for hormone metabolism and the development of the female reproductive tract.
Limited treatments
Dr Krina Zondervan, lead author of the study and research fellow at the University of Oxford, said: "Our study is a breakthrough because it provides the first strong evidence that variations in DNA make some women more likely to develop endometriosis," says Dr Krina.
"We now need to understand the effect of these variations on cells and molecules in the body."
Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease which affects around six to 10% of all women in their reproductive years.
Common symptoms include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods as well as serious fertility problems in some women.
The condition occurs when cells like those in the lining of the womb are found elsewhere in the body.
During a woman's monthly cycle, hormones stimulate the endometriosis, causing it to grow, then break down and bleed.
This leads to inflammation, pain, and the formation of scar tissue (adhesions).
The only way to diagnose endometriosis is through a procedure called a laparoscopy which happens under general anesthetic.
Current treatments are limited to surgery and hormonal drugs which can have side effects.
Dr Stephen Kennedy, senior author of the study and head of the Nuffield department of obstetrics and gynecology at Oxford, said this could now change.
"We have great confidence that the results of this study will help towards developing less invasive methods of diagnosis and more effective treatments for endometriosis."
Helen North, from Endometriosis UK, welcomed the study.
"However, what we really need is to see how this discovery can lead towards effective treatments.
"It takes around 10 years for a woman to be diagnosed and even then available treatments are few, not definitive, and can involve invasive surgeries."
Questions and Answers
Making lifestyle changes and adjusting your diet for endometriosis can bring about many positive physical and metabolic changes, healthy hormonal balance, as well as losing weight and improving your health. You will even find that your fertility may increase, so you can fall pregnant faster. The best part is, no more painful, heavy periods associated with endometriosis and treatment is 100% natural.
A fast way to get gout relief is with baking soda which I've found it to be very effective. But now that I have gotten my uric acid levels under control I don't need to use this home remedy anymore.
Gout was once the 'disease of kings' due to their diet, but not any more. Anybody can have gout nowadays. Easy access to relatively cheap, mass-produced food and alcohol has meant that we are all at the mercy of gout through our diet.
We need to keep our omega 6 foods at a minimum and include more omega 3 into our diets. Adding food items such as walnuts, chia seeds, to our salads is a simple and natural way to get our omega.
Most children demonstrate some impulsive/hyperactive behavior or have difficulty remaining on-task. Although typically found in boys, in 3-7% percent of children the inattentive, hyperactive, and/or impulsive behavior is recognized by clinician as being a significant problem that is not typical of normal development.
Tomas, a 34 year of carpenter, went to see his girl friend of six months at the end of a hard day. Noticing a strange car in the driveway, he peered into her window with some curiosity. He saw her having sexual relations with another man. Enraged, Tomas went home and returned with his shotgun.
From the studies on soda water, it is found that the contents of sodium is much higher than the normal water, causing cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure , strokes etc.
It is highly recommended that lowering of cancer risks can be achieved if we fellow rules : lowering of weight, taking of mother's milk for at least 6 months , vegetables, fruits, physical activities, lowering taking salts, or salt soaked meals, smoking, lowering of alcohols, red meat,and food of caloric values.
Scientists have identified a new type of mosquito. It is a subgroup of Anopheles gambiae, the insect species responsible for most of the malaria transmission in Africa. Researchers tell Science magazine that this new mosquito appears to be very susceptible to the parasite that causes the disease - which raises concern. The effective devise of controlling this disease is not well established
Here's some good news for women ever bothered by hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. We know that hormones are important to breast cancer risk, and we also know that menopausal symptoms occur primarily because of changes in hormones that women experience as they go through menopause
More than half of the bottled water products surveyed failed EWG's transparency test -18 percent didn't say where their water comes from, and another 32 percent did not disclose any information on treatment or purity of water. Consumers have the right to know where their water comes from and what's in it so they can make informed choices that affect the health of themselves and their families
Discuss this Article
