The impact of race as a risk factor for symptom severity and age at diagnosis of uterine leiomyomata among affected sisters

Objective The objective of the study was to identify risk factors for uterine leiomyomata (UL) in a racially diverse population of women with a family history of UL, and to evaluate their contribution to disease severity and age at diagnosis. Study Design We collected and analyzed epidemiologic data from 285 sister pairs diagnosed with UL. Risk factors for UL-related outcomes were compared among black (n = 73) and white (n = 212) sister pairs using univariate and multivariate regression models. Results Black women reported an average age at diagnosis of 5.3 years younger (SE, 1.1; P < .001) and were more likely to report severe disease (odds ratio, 5.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.99-13.7, P < .001) than white women of similar socioeconomic status. Conclusion Self-reported race is a significant factor in the severity of UL among women with a family history of UL. Differences in disease presentation between races likely reflect underlying genetic heterogeneity. The affected sister-pair study design can address both epidemiological and genetic hypotheses about UL.