Study Links Endometriosis to 46% Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes - Video

A condition best known for painful periods may be linked to a risk that starts far beyond reproductive health. A new study suggests women with endometriosis may face a 46% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with women without the condition.

Published in Diabetologia, the research found that endometriosis was associated with a 46% greater risk of type 2 diabetes. Importantly, the strength of the association differed depending on the type and location of endometriosis.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus and can cause severe pelvic pain, painful periods and fertility problems. But researchers say its potential effects may extend to metabolic health as well.

The study, led by researchers at George Mason University in the US, analysed health data from nearly 3 million women in the Utah Population Database between 1996 and 2021. Nearly 100,000 participants had been diagnosed with endometriosis.

The link was particularly strong among women with extra-pelvic endometriosis, where lesions occur outside the pelvic region. Researchers also found stronger associations among premenopausal women and women without obesity—groups that are not traditionally viewed as having the highest risk for type 2 diabetes.

One possible explanation is chronic inflammation. Endometriosis is associated with persistent inflammatory activity, which could potentially contribute to insulin resistance and other metabolic changes. However, the study found an association rather than proving that endometriosis directly causes diabetes.

Previous research often treated endometriosis as a single condition and found little or no overall connection with type 2 diabetes. The new findings suggest that looking at specific forms of the disease may reveal risks that were previously overlooked.

If future studies confirm the association, the findings could help doctors identify women with certain forms of endometriosis who may benefit from earlier diabetes-risk assessment and prevention strategies.

REFERENCE: Fuzak Nunziato, M., Yan, B., Schliep, K.C. et al. Endometriosis subtypes and risk of type 2 diabetes: the Advancing Research on Cardiovascular Health and Endometriosis Study (ARCHES) retrospective cohort study. Diabetologia (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-026-06828-w