What causes endometrial hyperplasia?

What causes endometrial hyperplasia?

Women who develop endometrial hyperplasia produce too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. These female hormones play essential roles in menstruation and pregnancy. During ovulation, estrogen thickens the endometrium, while progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy. If conception doesn’t occur, progesterone levels drop. The progesterone drop triggers the uterus to shed its lining as a menstrual period.

Women who have endometrial hyperplasia make little, if any, progesterone. As a result, the uterus doesn’t shed the endometrial lining. Instead, the lining continues to grow and thicken.

Additionally, obesity contributes to the elevation of estrogen levels. The adipose tissue (fat stores in the abdomen and body) can convert the fat producing hormones to estrogen. This is the how obesity contributes to elevated circulating levels of estrogen and increases the risk of endometrial hyperplasia.