Top in women’s health: GLP-1s may curb fibroid risk; home ovulation kits equally effective

Researchers found that women with type 2 diabetes who received at least two doses of GLP-1 receptor agonists had a 27% lower risk for developing new-onset uterine fibroids compared to those who use metformin or insulin.

The retrospective study analyzed health records from 30,036 women who started GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy and found that participants who received between two to six doses of any GLP-1 receptor agonist experienced greater protection against new-onset fibroids compared with metformin users.

“Type 2 diabetes and obesity both contribute to insulin resistance, which is associated with increased risk for uterine fibroids,” Tina Yi-Jin Hsieh, MD, MPH, a student in the department of biomedical informatics at Harvard Medical School, said during a presentation at the ASRM Scientific Congress & Expo. “GLP-1 receptor agonists exert many effects across different systems in the human body and also have anti-inflammatory effects to treat a wide variety of diseases.”

It was the top story in women’s health last week.

In another top story, researchers determined that there is no clinical difference in the positive or negative predictive value or specificity of detection between at-home ovulation predictor kits, despite price differences.

Read these and more top stories in women’s health below:

GLP-1 drugs may reduce uterine fibroid risk for women with type 2 diabetes

Women with type 2 diabetes prescribed any GLP-1 receptor agonist were less likely to develop any new-onset uterine fibroids over 5 years compared with those who used metformin or insulin, researchers reported. Read more.

At-home ovulation predictor kits accurate, similar despite price differences

Five tested at-home ovulation predictor kits had high accuracy and performed similarly despite wide price differences, according to study findings published in Fertility and Sterility. Read more.

Intrauterine lidocaine reduces pain during, after hysteroscopy-guided biopsy

Women undergoing endometrial biopsy using vaginoscopic hysteroscopy reported less pain and were discharged sooner when the procedure was performed with intrauterine lidocaine compared with placebo, researchers reported. Read more.

Living near recreational cannabis retailers tied to increased prenatal use

The implementation of recreational cannabis legalization in California in 2018 was associated with an immediate rise in rates of prenatal cannabis use in jurisdictions that permitted adult-use retailers, data show. Read more.

Women with PCOS at risk for emotional, uncontrolled eating in midlife

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome have a higher risk for emotional and uncontrolled eating behaviors at midlife, with contrasts observed among different phenotypes, according to findings published in Fertility and Sterility. Read here.