New Study Could Answer Why Black Women Are More Likely to Get Fibroids

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that are found in or on the uterus. The most common symptom is heavy bleeding, but you might also experience abdominal pain, frequent urination, difficulty emptying the bladder, constipation, backache, or leg pain.

Note: There might be no symptoms at all!

Further, it’s widely known that Black women develop fibroids more often than any other racial group; however, it’s been a mystery to physicians as to why this is.

A new study led by Jose M. Teixeira, Ph.D., of Michigan State University aimed to find answers to this mystery, and they just might have found the reason.

Related: MIMIT Health UFE Testimonial from Cathy

The reason may be embedded in gene expression—the extent to which a gene is turned “on” or “off"—which then affects your body’s cells and how your body functions.

Researchers compared tissue samples of 22 Black women and 24 White women with fibroids who had a hysterectomy.

In this comparison, they found higher levels of gene expression within the outer layer of the uterus (called the myometrium) in Black Women compared to White women, specifically in a gene called VWF. Why is this significant? Because it could suggest that this area is responsible for vascularization, which could promote fibroid growth.

Source: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/news/090722-racial-disparities-fibroids