Women who were tall and lean in childhood more at risk of endometriosis – study

Study analysed data from more than 170,000 women born in Denmark between 1930 and 1996

Girls who are tall and lean in childhood are more at risk of later developing endometriosis, research has found.

Endometriosis is a painful, often debilitating, condition in which tissue similar to that found lining the womb is found elsewhere in the body, such as the bowel or ovaries. When it breaks down and bleeds, as it would in the womb, it can cause inflammation and pain. It is believed that up to 10% of women live with the condition, with some left infertile as a result.