- 500,000+ Canadian girls and women are affected by
endometriosis.1
- 27.9 years old is the average diagnosis age in
Canada. 1
- In Canada, individuals with
endometriosis often experience a diagnosis delay of more than five
years. 1
MONTREAL, June 17, 2020
/CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global, research and
development-based biopharmaceutical company, sponsored a first
of its kind cross-sectional, online survey of 30,000 women in
Canada aged 18 to 49. Earlier this
year, the results were published in the Journal of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology Canada (JOGC) in a paper entitled "Prevalence,
Symptomatic Burden, And Diagnosis Of Endometriosis In Canada: Cross-Sectional Survey Of 30 000
Women."1
Findings showed that Canadians with endometriosis often
experience a diagnosis delay of more than five years. This half
decade delay in disease recognition indicates an important unmet
need for more timely diagnosis of endometriosis across Canada.1
"Often misdiagnosed and mismanaged; endometriosis can have a
significant negative impact on a person's physical and mental
health and dramatically hinder their overall quality of life. Women
need to know that painful periods are not normal. There are
treatment options available, as long as endometriosis is identified
quickly. Unfortunately, that is not always the case," says Dr.
Sukhbir Singh, MD, Professor,
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, who is a primary investigator
in the study.
In Canada, it's estimated that
seven per cent of women will develop endometriosis.1
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that predominantly
affects women of reproductive age.2 Endometriosis
occurs when endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. Women with
endometriosis experience various symptoms including: non-menstrual
pelvic pain, pain during intercourse (dyspareunia), heavy menstrual
bleeding, pelvic pain, and cramping during
menstruation.3 Infertility can also be common with
endometriosis.3
"The road for an endometriosis patient is long, with various
treatments and no cure. I deal with the physical aspect as well as
the emotional and mental pull of it all," said Alexandra Camara, a Canadian living with
endometriosis. "I became symptomatic at an early age. My symptoms
increased and became more relevant when I was 14, and at 19, I was
formally diagnosed. Receiving a proper diagnosis, then later
excision surgery, was monumental to symptom management. To help
raise awareness, I'm sharing my story to empower women not to
suffer in silence."
According to a survey, seven out of ten women experience
unresolved – on-going - endometriosis
pain.4
Endometriosis is a life-long journey.
Often, patients who are diagnosed and on treatment, or have had
surgery, still deal with unmanaged pain. It is important for
patients to have continuous support, knowledge and access to
clinically proven treatments. If still in pain, be your own
advocate, seek out options and speak to a health care expert about
all treatment options.
Globally, an estimated 176 million women live with
endometriosis.5 "Although there is currently no cure for
endometriosis, we are committed to researching and supporting
Canadians living with endometriosis in an effort to provide
resources and hope for this disease," said Denis Hello, Vice
President and General Manager, AbbVie Canada. "AbbVie has conducted
some of the largest clinical trials in endometriosis in the world.
We will continue to research the disease's most common symptoms to
support disease management needs."
Resources such as the Endometriosis Network Canada and online
chats via #EndoEmpowered can provide important information
and foster a sense of community for endometriosis patients in
Canada.
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and
deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today
and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a
remarkable impact on people's lives across several
key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye
care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to
products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics
portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us
at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
_____________________________
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1
Prevalence, Symptomatic Burden, and Diagnosis of Endometriosis in
Canada: Cross-Sectional Survey of 30 000 Women. Dr. Sukhbir
Singh, et al.
http://www.jogc.com/article/S1701-2163(19)30980-6/fulltext.
Accessed May 2020.
|
2
YourPeriod.ca. What is Endometriosis?
https://www.yourperiod.ca/endometriosis/what-is-endometriosis/
Accessed May 2020.
|
3
YourPeriod.ca. What are the symptoms of Endometriosis?
https://www.yourperiod.ca/endometriosis/what-are-the-symptoms-of-endometriosis/
Accessed May 2020.
|
4 De
Graaff AA, D'Hooghe TM, Dunselman GAJ, Dirksen CD, Hummelshoj L,
WERF EndoCost Consortium, Simoens S. The significant effect of
endometriosis on physical, mental and social wellbeing: results
from an international cross-sectional survey. Hum Reprod.
2013;28(10):2677-2685. Accessed May 2020.
|
5 David
Adamson, G., Kennedy, S., & Hummelshoj, L. (2010). Creating
solutions in endometriosis: Global collaboration through the world
endometriosis research foundation. Journal of Endometriosis,
2(1), 3-6. Accessed May 2020.
|
SOURCE AbbVie Canada