Study on the relationship between the non-HDL/HDL cholesterol ratio (NHHR) and endometriosis: a cross-sectional analysis utilizing the NHANES dataset.

Abstract

Background: Numerous previous studies have suggested dyslipidemia is possibly linked to endometriosis (EMs). The connection between endometriosis and NHHR remains largely unexplored. Thus, this investigation examined whether NHHR is correlated with endometriosis development among adult women in the United States of America.

Methods: Data from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study, with a final sample of 4,990 participants. To investigate the potential association between NHHR and the likelihood of developing endometriosis, we employed two statistical models: a weighted multivariate logistic regression model and a restricted cubic spline model. Data visualization included scatter plots with locally estimated scatterplot smoothing (LOESS) curves to illustrate the relationship between NHHR and the probability of endometriosis. To ensure the reliability of our findings, we subsequently conducted subgroup analyses and interaction tests to assess their stability.

Results: In this study, after accounting for all potential confounders, it was found that for every one-point elevation in NHHR, the risk of developing endometriosis increased by 17% (95% CI: 1.05-1.35, p = 0.04). A linear dose-response association was identified that connected NHHR with the risk of endometriosis (P for nonlinear = 0.1315). Interaction results from subgroup analyses suggested that an association between NHHR and risk of endometriosis was largely unaffected by race, educational background, or marital status, among others.

Conclusion: NHHR and the probability of developing endometriosis are significantly correlated in the U.S. population, suggesting that further research on NHHR could assist in non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis.