Endometriosis Patients Have an Increased Risk of Experiencing Long-Covid Symptoms: Results from a Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study, 2024, Cirkel+

Endometriosis Patients Have an Increased Risk of Experiencing Long-Covid Symptoms: Results from a Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study
Anna Cirkel; Hartmut Göbel; Carl Göbel; Ibrahim Alkatout; Ahmed Khalil; Sascha Baum; Norbert Brüggemann; Achim Rody; Christoph Cirkel

BACKGROUND
Women are more at risk for developing long-term symptoms after a COVID-19 infection. Only limited data are available for patients with coexisting endometriosis and/or menstrual pain symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN
A total of 840 premenopausal women with menstrual pain and/or endometriosis were included in this observational cross-sectional study using an online survey platform.

RESULTS
A total of 840 women with menstrual pain (mean age 30.7 ± 6.9, 15–54 years) were studied. Of these, 714 (84.2%) had a COVID-19 infection, 123 did not (14.5%). A total of 312 subjects had acute COVID-19 (AC) with symptoms ≤4 weeks (43.7%), 132 (18.5%) developed postacute COVID-19 syndrome (PC), and 88 (12.3%) had “long Covid” (LC). There were no statistical differences regarding number of vaccination shots between the three groups AC, PC, and LC. A total of 582 patients with surgically confirmed endometriosis (SCE) showed a twofold increased risk of LC [odds ratio (OR): 2.12, 2.18–3.84] in comparison with AC subjects. In SCE the comorbidity anxiety disorder (OR: 2.08, 1.14–3.81) and depression (OR: 2.02, 1.15–3.56) further increased the risk of LC. LC subjects had a significantly higher disturbance level of menstrual pain (p = 0.002), were more restricted in job (p < 0.001), leisure (p = 0.002), and family activities (p < 0.001), and had a higher number of endometriosis surgeries (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS
Subjects with SCE had a twofold increased risk of LC (in comparison to subjects with nonconfirmed endometriosis menstrual pain). In patients with SCE concomitant diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder further twice-fold increased risk of LC. Further studies are needed if it is possible to reduce LC risk by improving the treatment of those secondary diagnoses and whether the type of endometriosis treatment can reduce LC occurrence (holistic, coanalgetic, hormonal).

Link | PDF (Women's Health Reports) [Open Access]

 

There is evidence of increased nerve sensitivity to insulin in endometriosis-

https://www.fertstert.org/article/S...are membrane,debilitating symptoms of the GIT.

This ties in with the insulin hypothesis I posted a few weeks ago. I took statins to help with ME symptoms based on my hypothesis (as statins increase nerve insulin receptor resistance). My endometriosis pain has completely gone away since starting the statins.

There is research showing statins reduce endometriosis growth-

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2708947/

 

Could you direct me to studies where I might understand this.
I'm on a statin, and am being investigated for Small fibre neuropathy, and I have erythromelalgia, which all started long before I started the statin). I'm on metformin for PCOS related insulin resistance.

Am interested to learn how these things might interact - ie if the statin is likely to make my other, previous conditions worse over time.

Obviously not asking for medical advice just interested to learn & if you're aware of studies that might be helpful/of interest, I'd appreciate it. I had no idea of these issues with statins.

 

I thought statins were known to make ME/CFS worse? In fact a doctor was going to prescribe me cholesterol lowering medication. She was very good. I told her I was worried about it making ME/CFS worse. She shocked me by telling me that she had seen patients with my condition deteriorate on statins and therefore for me they would put me on non-statin agents if necessary. She was an excellent, methodical doctor - sadly she left, but I found this very interesting. (I am not taking anything for cholesterol). Anyway maybe this needs a different discussion but I thought I'd add that experience.

 

Some research on the effect of statins on glucose uptake and insulin resistance-

https://drc.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000017

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8876152/

However in this paper, they found that the increased insulin resistance seems to be more pronounced in insulin sensitive people, and there was not much difference when statins were given to people who already were insulin resistant-

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/ATVBAHA.121.316159


I suspect that I have a particular problem with increased insulin sensitivity, and this is why the statins are beneficial to me, but I don't think that is happening with everyone with ME.

 

I think there could be subtypes of ME, and a small subtype who have increased insulin sensitivity may benefit from statins. I think there could be a different ME subtype who have insulin resistance, and I am not completely sure what the effect of statins would be in that subtype.

I made a video on this a few weeks ago, but it's just an unproven hypothesis at the moment-

See video and discussion on this thread
https://www.s4me.info/threads/me-hypothesis-noradrenergic-neuron-dysfunction.40280/

 

Thanks I'll check those out.

Sorry mods this has taken the thread off topic

 

Sean I think you would have felt worse by now if there was a problem?

I don't think I have any more info (I never got put on the meds but I'm not up to date with appointments anymore due to covid and my worsened ME/CFS from covid). Just some stuff I read online of a speculative nature that I don't recall well right now - but you should be okay if you didn't notice anything!

I think it was more from the doctor that she had seen ME/CFS people have a negative reaction and put them on something else.

 

Re statins/ high cholesterol has anyone tried Red Yeast Rice supplements?