Endometriosis linked to 46% higher type 2 diabetes risk

A 25-year observational study involving approximately 3 million women from the Utah Population Database has found that endometriosis is linked to a 46 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The research, published in the journal Diabetologia, tracked participants from 1996 to 2021. The findings indicate that the risk is particularly pronounced in premenopausal women and in cases of extra-pelvic endometriosis. The increased risk for diabetes was also observed in women without obesity.

Specific forms of the condition showed varying levels of risk. Superficial peritoneal endometriosis was associated with a 67 percent higher risk, while ovarian endometriosis showed a 61 percent increase. The highest risk—more than double that of women without the condition—was found in rare cases where endometriosis lesions appeared in unusual locations in the body. Additionally, deep infiltrating endometriosis was linked to a 45 percent higher risk, and adenomyosis was also associated with increased metabolic risk.