Reproductive and heart health | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

Background

In endometriosis, tissue that is similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, building up and often causing pain, infertility, and other problems. One in 10 women experience the condition, but little is known about it.

Naturally occurring estrogen in a woman's body helps protect against heart disease but also can exacerbate the symptoms of endometriosis. As a result, endometriosis is sometimes treated by suppressing estrogen, but the long term impact of estrogen suppression and cardiovascular health in women with endometriosis is unknown.

Purpose

This study seeks to understand the impact of new treatments to decrease cardiovascular disease risk in women with endometriosis. The researchers will explore the impact of two medications that could potentially treat endometriosis while supporting women's cardiovascular health.

Women who live with endometriosis suffer pain, miss work and may suffer a significantly reduced quality of life. Science can and should provide more insights about how to treat and manage this condition.

Lacy Alexander

A research subject hooked up to sensors that measure their blood flow.

Impact

The researchers will test two drugs, Duavee and Simvastatin, that have shown potential for reducing pain and improving blood vessel function in women with endometriosis. For the many women with endometriosis who are at risk for heart disease, one of these treatments may someday lead to healthier, longer lives.

In the picture on the right, researchers monitor how a person's blood flow responds to locally administered drugs. This equipment allows for real-time measurements and removes the need to infuse study drugs throughout the body.

Investigators

Principal investigator: Lacy Alexander

Graduate students: Virginia Content, Auni Williams

Collaborators

Nina Stachenfeld of Yale School of Medicine and Lakshmi Santhanam of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine are key collaborators on this research.

Sponsor

This work is funded by a multi-million-dollar grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2022-27.

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