Substances present in some cosmetic products, such as lipsticks, creams, or tints, could increase the likelihood that women will develop endometriosis
Researchers from the ibs.GRANADA, the University of Granada and the San Cecilio de Granada Clinical Hospital confirm the presence in these products of endocrine disruptors, chemical substances that are capable of imitating or blocking the action of hormones.
The use of some cosmetic and personal care products (such as face masks, lipsticks, face creams, nail polish, dyes, creams, hairspray, and hair mousse) could be related to a higher probability of developing endometriosis, due to the presence in these products are chemicals that are capable of mimicking or blocking the action of hormones (known as endocrine disruptors)
It is one of the conclusions of a study carried out by researchers from the group of advanced therapies and biomedical technologies of the ibs.GRANADA, the University of Granada and the San Cecilio de Granada University Hospital, published in the journal environmental research, within a research project called EndEA.
Endometriosis is a very common gynecological disease, and it is estimated that one in 10 women of reproductive age could suffer from it. It is an abnormal growth of endometrial tissue (which in normal situations lines the interior of the uterus) in different regions of the abdomen and pelvis, causing a wide range of symptoms such as intense chronic pain in the pelvic region, intestinal problems and infertility, notably decreasing the quality of life of these women.
To this is added the difficulty to be diagnosed (surgical intervention is required to definitively confirm the disease), causing in many cases a significant delay in diagnosis (estimated at an average of 10 years from the onset of symptoms). In addition, the lack of a definitive treatment that cures this disease makes it a chronic disease and certainly disabling in some cases.
The role of hormones
As the researchers responsible for this project indicate, the gynecologist Olga Ocon from the San Cecilio de Granada University Hospital belonging to the group of advanced therapies and biomedical technologies of the ibs.GRANADA and the professor of the University of Granada, belonging to the group of basic and clinical oncology of the ibs.GRANADA Francisco Artacho, "Although the causes of its appearance are not known exactly, it is suspected that they may be diverse, including genetic, epigenetic and environmental causes, where hormones seem to play a key role."
In this sense, the presence of chemical substances that are capable of imitating or blocking the action of hormones (known as endocrine disruptors), present in numerous products of daily consumption, could be contributing to the increase in diagnosed cases that are being detected in patients. In recent years, as has been shown for other pathologies such as breast cancer, obesity or diabetes.
These endocrine disruptors include parabens and benzophenones, widely used in the cosmetics and personal care products industry and which are part of the exposome, a name given to the set of non-genetic environmental factors that contribute to risk. to get sick.
Therefore, within the EndEA research project funded by the Carlos III Health Institute (Ministry of Science and Innovation) and the Antonio Chamorro-Alejandro Otero Research Chair, an attempt has been made to study the role that these endocrine disruptors can play in the development of endometriosis.
Researchers have quantified internal levels of parabens and benzophenones in a total of 124 women (with and without endometriosis), from public hospitals in the city of Granada, in addition to collecting detailed information on the use of cosmetics and personal care products of every one of them.
The results obtained, which are part of the doctoral thesis being carried out by Francisco M. Peinado, showed a clear association between a greater use of various types of cosmetics (masks, lipstick, facial creams, pedicures, dyes, creams, hairspray and hair mousse) and higher internal levels of parabens and benzophenones. "In addition, we observed that the internal levels of some of these endocrine disruptors were related to the risk of suffering from endometriosis", point out Ocón and Artacho.
As the researcher Francisco M. Peinado indicates, given its difficult diagnosis and that there is still no treatment that definitively cures endometriosis, it is important to establish preventive measures aimed at reducing exposure to these compounds, through the use of products free of these endocrine disruptors. or reducing their use.
In addition, these results are in addition to those obtained in another recently published study, where these same researchers have observed how another endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A, could also be involved in the development of this disease.
Bibliographic reference:
Cosmetic and personal care product use, urinary levels of parabens and benzophenones, and risk of endometriosis: results from the EndEA study
FMPeinado, O. Ocón-Hernández, LMIribarne-Durán, F. Vela-Soria, A.Ubiña, C. Padilla, JCMora, J.Cardona, J.León, MFFernández, N. Olea, F. Artacho-Cordón
Environmental Research, 2020, 110342
Illustrative video: http://sl.ugr.