Uterine fibroid volume is not associated with blood pressure
Authors: Harvey Ronée , Pruter Wyatt , El-Borgi Cecile , Stewart Elizabeth , Baker Sarah 
Published: May 2023

Background: Females with uterine fibroids (UF), benign tumors of the myometrium, have a higher risk of hypertension than females without UF. The relationship between UF and hypertension is not fully understood. Case studies have reported hypertension in patients with large UF that compress the ureters, resulting in hydronephrosis. However, this pathophysiology is not present in all females with UF and hypertension. It is unknown if UF volume is correlated with blood pressure in the absence of renal compromise. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the potential associations between blood pressure and 1) volume of the largest UF and 2) volume of the uterus (a surrogate for total UF volume) in females with UF. Methods: We utilized the Mayo Clinic Data Explorer to identify patients, who had pelvic ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies performed at Mayo Clinic-Rochester in 2021 that reported the presence of UF, and who were ages 18-65 years old. From this system, we collected brachial blood pressure data (systolic, diastolic, and mean), assessed in the outpatient setting within 14 days of imaging. For each patient, dimensions of the largest UF and the uterus were abstracted from radiology reports. The largest UF was assessed, as it reliably had all three dimensions reported. Volume of the uterus was used as a surrogate for total UF volume to consider the possibility of multiple UF that were not detailed in the radiology report. Volumes of the largest UF and uterus were each calculated as for ellipsoid structures, (length✕depth✕width)✕0.523 in cm3. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was calculated to assess the linear relationship between blood pressure and largest UF volume, and blood pressure and uterine volume. A p-value <0.05 denoted statistical significance. Results: One hundred thirteen females (48±9 years old) were included in the analysis, 88 with ultrasound and 25 with MRI reports. Average blood pressures were as follows, systolic: 121±16 mmHg (range: 92-185 mmHg), diastolic: 76±9 mmHg (52-101 mmHg), and mean: 91±11 mmHg (67-129 mmHg). Twenty-nine females (25.7%) had a diagnosis of hypertension. Hydronephrosis was not reported in any of the imaging reports. A mean of 2±2 UF were present per uterus (range: 1-15). Average volume of the largest UF was 75.0±115.9 cm3. Largest UF volume was not associated with systolic (r=0.023, p=0.812), diastolic (r=-0.040, p=0.677), or mean (r=-0.014, p=0.881) blood pressures. Average volume of the uterus was 219.6±215.6 cm3. Volume of the uterus was not associated with systolic (r=0.040, p=0.688), diastolic (r=0.102, p=0.305), or mean (r=0.071, p=0.475) blood pressures. Conclusion: In females with UF, blood pressure is not associated with the largest UF or uterine volumes. These data suggest that in the absence of hydronephrosis, the association between UF and blood pressure is not related to UF size. It is unknown if these findings differ based on factors, such as race.

AHA 898649, NIH K01 HL1148144

This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.