Uterine fibroids may be less common in Latina women than earlier estimates suggested, according to new research released on Apr. 27.
The findings are important because they offer a clearer understanding of how uterine fibroids affect Latina women, a group for which there has been limited data. This information could help guide future research and patient care.
The study was led by researchers at Michigan Medicine and is described as one of the largest in the United States to confirm cases of fibroids using ultrasound, which is considered more accurate than self-reporting or relying solely on medical records. "There has been limited data on how fibroids affect Latina women," said Erica E. Marsh, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School and chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at U-M Health Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital. "These findings help us better understand this population and will inform future research, as well as how we counsel and treat patients."
Researchers studied 621 reproductive-age Latina women, mostly of Mexican descent, between ages 21 to 50. They found that 11.8% had fibroids—a lower rate than some previous estimates for this group, which have reached up to 37%. The prevalence increased with age: it was 3.5% among those aged 21–30 and rose to 18.7% among those aged 41–50, according to results published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
This data comes from ELLAS (Environment, Leiomyomas, Latinas, and Adiposity Study), described as the largest U.S.-based study focused specifically on fibroids in Latina women using community-based participatory research methods.
Fibroids are noncancerous growths in the uterus that can cause symptoms such as heavy menstrual bleeding or pelvic pain but sometimes do not cause symptoms at all. Previous studies suggest that by age 50 up to 70% of white women and over 80% of Black women develop fibroids.
Marsh said future studies may look into possible protective factors like diet or environmental exposures that could explain why rates appear lower among Latinas: "Understanding these differences could give us important clues about how fibroids develop," Marsh said. "That knowledge could ultimately benefit all patients."
