Lipid accumulation products and endometriosis: A population-based study from NHANES

To investigate the association between lipid accumulation product (LAP) and endometriosis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), because lipid metabolism alterations and obesity have been implicated in the pathophysiology of endometriosis.

This cross-sectional study used data from NHANES (1999-2006) to assess the relationship between LAP, derived from waist circumference and triglycerides, and endometriosis. Weighted logistic regression models were used to detect the relationship. Sensitivity analysis and subgroup analyses were also conducted to assess the robustness of the association, and receiver operating characteristics curve analysis and area under the curve were performed to evaluate LAP's diagnostic ability for endometriosis.

The analysis included 1711 women, of whom 150 were diagnosed with endometriosis, resulting in a prevalence of 10.73%. Logistic regression models indicated that higher LAP levels were positively associated with an increased risk of endometriosis. The odds ratio (OR) for log-LAP and the highest quartile were 1.874 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.361-2.581, P < 0.001) and 3.474 (95% CI 1.616-7.469, P < 0.001) in the fully adjusted model. Sensitivity analysis showed consistent results, and subgroup analyses confirmed the stability of this association across different groups. The diagnostic performance of LAP was higher, with an AUC of 0.599, compared with 0.525 for body mass index.

This study is the first to demonstrate an association between LAP and endometriosis in a large, nationally representative sample of US women. LAP may serve as an accessible, non-invasive biomarker for identifying women at risk for endometriosis, offering potential benefits for early diagnosis and management.