Association between endometriosis and long COVID?

The risk factors for COVID long have been studied since the pandemic. Research is gradually bearing fruit as we now have more hindsight. A new study suggests that endometriosis could be a risk factor.

Post-COVID 19 syndrome, commonly known as 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃, is defined by the persistence of COVID-19-related symptoms for 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟖 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 after contamination, and affects 𝟏𝟎-𝟑𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬. Symptoms include fatigue, sleep disorders, shortness of breath, pain, cognitive problems and an impact on mental health. The 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 have a similar pathophysiological impact, involving 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐬, and affect 10% of women of childbearing age.

The link between these two pathologies was studied in a 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰/𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚-𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 published by a French team in the journal 𝐵𝑀𝐶 𝑊𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛'𝑠 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ. A significant association was found, with women with endometriosis having a 𝟒𝟏% 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 of developing long COVID. In total, 𝟏𝟔% 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 with endometriosis were also affected by long COVID, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟏𝟎% 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 without endometriosis.

However, the 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 on which these results are based limits their extrapolation to the general population, and makes it impossible to establish a 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to understand more precisely the 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬.