The endocrine aspects of endometriosis.
Petraglia. Felice F; Vannuccini. Silvia S; Dolmans. Marie-Madeleine MM; Speciale. Anna Rosa AR; Bourdon. Mathilde M; Marcellin. Louis L; Donnez. Jacques J; Chapron. Charles C
Key Findings
- An imbalance of estrogen and progesterone helps endometrial tissue implant and survive outside the uterus.
- Chronic pain from endometriosis can trigger stress and lower quality of life.
- Hormonal therapies such as progestins, estrogen‑progestin combos, and GnRH analogs (e.g., gonadorelin) can suppress menstruation and reduce pain.
Practical Outcomes
- For people (especially women) dealing with endometriosis, GnRH analogs can be a useful tool to pause the menstrual cycle and relieve pain, but they are not a general performance or longevity hack. Treatment should be coordinated with healthcare professionals due to the condition's complexity and associated health issues.
Summary
Endometriosis is a painful condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, driven by hormone imbalances and inflammation. It causes menstrual pain, infertility, and can affect other organs. Hormone medicines—including GnRH analogs like gonadorelin—can shut down periods and ease pain, but treatment usually needs a team of doctors because the disease is complex.
Abstract
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecologic disease of reproductive-age women, causing menstrual pain and infertility. Endocrine and inflammatory mechanisms drive its development, with estrogen/progesterone imbalance contributing to extrauterine implantation and persistence of ectopic endometrial cells. Chronic pain also induces stress-related disorders, worsening the quality of life. Infertility results from inflammatory, ovarian, and endometrial changes, and adverse pregnancy outcomes are reported. Diagnosis of endometriosis is clinical and imaging based. Furthermore, gastrointestinal, urinary, or autoimmune comorbidities complicate endometriosis management. Hormonal treatments, including progestins, estro-progestins, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRH-a), or oral antagonists, suppress menstruation and relieve pain. The relevant endocrine aspects and the systemic comorbidities make endometriosis a syndrome that requires a multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
Study Information
pubmed
2025
2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
10.1093/ejendo/lvaf192