“Fibroids grow in response to hormones and tend to shrink during menopause, when hormone levels drop,” says Wu, who was not involved in the research.
“Pollution may be a contributing factor to fibroid development in some women,” she says. The good news is that there are many treatments for fibroids that cause bothersome symptoms, including medication and minimally invasive procedures.
Dr. Marianthi Kioumourtzoglou, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, called this “a very important study.”
She said there has been little research into how environmental exposures affect this aspect of women’s health.
Air pollution has been linked to lung, heart and brain disease, mood disorders, and pregnancy and birth-related outcomes, says Kioumourtzoglou, who reviewed the new findings.
Besides moving, which is not feasible for most people, it can be hard to reduce exposure to ozone and other sources of air pollution, she pointed out.
“Masks definitely help,” she adds.
More information
Learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of fibroids at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.