A systematic review of clinical studies on hereditary factors in pelvic organ prolapse

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis There is growing evidence that pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is at least partly caused by underlying hereditary risk factors. The aim of our study was to provide a systematic literature review and metaanalysis of clinical studies on family history of POP as a risk factor for POP in individual women. Methods The databases PubMed and Embase were searched. Clinical studies reporting on family history of POP in relation to POP in individual women were included. Results Sixteen studies were included, of which eight enabled us to calculate a pooled odds ratio (OR). The pooled OR of POP in case of a positive family history of POP was 2.58 (95 % confidence interval 2.12-3.15). Conclusions Women with POP are substantially more likely to have family members with the same condition compared to women without POP. This strengthens the hypothesis that genetic predisposition plays an important role in the development of POP. © The Author(s) 2012.