Summary Uterine fibroids caused a total of 4190 deaths (95% UI 2320–6480) globally in 2019. 5·9% (4·5–7·5) of all women—a total of 226 million (175–287) persons—were living with uterine fibroids in 2019.

Definition Uterine fibroids are defined using American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) criteria, which state that they are diagnosed by pelvic exam and ultrasonography pelvic, hysteroscopy, hysterosalpingography (X-ray test), sonohysterography, or laparoscopy.

Total sources
Incidence 2
Prevalence 305
Remission 0
Causes of death 2636
Other 15
Table 1: Total sources used in GBD 2019 estimation
What is new in GBD 2019?
  • •Clinical administrative data processing was revised to account for inpatient:outpatient visits, with a change to use of outpatient-corrected data with HAQ Index correction, leading to higher estimates.
  • •Data processing was revised to include age-splitting using location-year-specific empirical age patterns and cross-walking data to the ACOG definition (alternatives = self-report, symptomatic only, clinical data) using MR-BRT.
  • •Dismod-MR 2.1 covariates were revised to use high BMI and smoking SEV (no covariates were used in GBD 2017).
  • •Severity distribution between symptomatic and asymptomatic cases was revised to be based on MR-BRT cross-walk results.
  • •Revised anaemia causal attribution based on counterfactual distribution methods led to higher estimates of anaemia due to symptomatic uterine fibroids, but anaemia results were lower overall due to changes in severity distribution.
Prevalence
Incidence
Deaths
YLLs
YLDs
DALYs
Cases
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
Cases
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
Deaths
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
YLLs
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
YLDs
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
DALYs
(millions)
Rate (per 100 000)
2019
Both Sexes
226
(175
to 287)
2733·8
(2107·7
to 3483·8)
9·64
(7·18
to 12·7)
119·6
(89·0
to 157·8)
0·00419
(0·00232
to 0·00648)
0·1
(0·0
to 0·1)
0·126
(0·0738
to 0·207)
1·5
(0·9
to 2·5)
1·25
(0·590
to 2·33)
15·2
(7·1
to 28·2)
1·38
(0·711
to 2·48)
16·7
(8·6
to 30·0)
Females
226
(175
to 287)
5467·7
(4210·5
to 6975·2)
9·64
(7·18
to 12·7)
241·2
(179·4
to 318·0)
0·00419
(0·00232
to 0·00648)
0·1
(0·1
to 0·2)
0·126
(0·0738
to 0·207)
3·0
(1·8
to 4·9)
1·25
(0·590
to 2·33)
30·3
(14·2
to 56·4)
1·38
(0·711
to 2·48)
33·3
(17·2
to 59·9)
Males
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
Percentage change 2010-19
Both Sexes
15·6%
(14·0
to 17·2)
0·9%
(–0·5
to 2·3)
12·9%
(11·1
to 14·5)
2·3%
(0·9
to 3·6)
9·7%
(–11·3
to 37·9)
–10·2%
(–27·4
to 13·0)
0·8%
(–17·3
to 24·9)
–15·0%
(–30·3
to 5·1)
15·3%
(13·6
to 16·8)
0·7%
(–0·6
to 2·1)
13·8%
(9·5
to 16·6)
–0·9%
(–5·0
to 1·7)
Females
15·6%
(14·0
to 17·2)
0·8%
(–0·6
to 2·2)
12·9%
(11·1
to 14·5)
2·4%
(1·1
to 3·8)
9·7%
(–11·3
to 37·9)
–10·7%
(–27·8
to 12·2)
0·8%
(–17·3
to 24·9)
–15·3%
(–30·5
to 4·8)
15·3%
(13·6
to 16·8)
0·7%
(–0·6
to 2·1)
13·8%
(9·5
to 16·6)
–1·0%
(–5·0
to 1·7)
Males
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
-–
Numbers in parentheses are 95% uncertainty intervals.
Table 2: Global prevalence, incidence, deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in counts and age-standardised rates for both sexes combined, females, and males, 2019, with percentage change between 2010 and 2019
Deaths YLLs YLDs DALYs
1990 193rd 196th 109th 221st
2010 194th 197th 109th 205th
2019 192nd 195th 104th 197th
Table 3: Rank among most detailed causes for global deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in 1990, 2010, and 2019, for both sexes combined
Figure 1: Composition of DALYs by YLLs and constituent sequelae YLDs for both sexes combined, 2019
No Legend
Figure 2: Age-standardised DALY rates for each location by SDI, both sexes combined, 2019
Figure 3: Composition of DALYs by YLLs and YLDs and by age group, 2019
No Legend
Figure 4: Age-standardised DALY rates (per 100 000) by location, both sexes combined, 2019