Abstract
Objective
Self-reported studies estimated that as many as 50–75% of women experience symptoms during menopause; however, limited real-world clinical data are available to support this observation. The electronic databases of Maccabi Healthcare Services were used to describe the prevalence of menopause symptoms in Israel and to characterize patients with regard to socioeconomic status, comorbidities and use of healthcare services.
Methods
Females aged 45–54 years diagnosed with menopausal symptoms (N=17,046, cumulative incidence of 8% during the study period) were identified from the Maccabi Healthcare Services electronic database and matched to female members without menopause symptoms, one-to-one on birth year and enumeration area.
Results
Symptomatic peri- and post-menopausal women, and particularly those under 52 years, were more likely to have a higher prevalence of comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety, osteoporosis and insomnia in the year following index. Correspondingly, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and hypnotic drug use were significantly higher in symptomatic women as was healthcare utilization including hospitalization (OR=1.10; 95% CI=1.00–1.20), primary care visits (1.90; 1.73–2.08), gynecologist visits (24.84; 22.36–27.59) and hysterectomy procedures (2.26; 1.63–3.14).
Conclusion
Medically documented menopausal symptoms are associated with increased burden of disease (particularly among women diagnosed with menopausal symptoms prior to age 52 years), healthcare utilization and greater likelihood of undergoing hysterectomy within one year of diagnosis. This burden is expected to rise further as awareness and social acceptance of peri- and post-menopausal symptoms increase.
Synopsis
Medically documented menopausal symptoms are associated with increased burden of disease and healthcare utilization and greater likelihood of undergoing hysterectomy within one year of diagnosis.
Ethics Approval
This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Assuta Medical Center in Israel, 5th November 2017. All data were anonymized.
Acknowledgments
This study was presented as a poster at the ISPOR (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research) European conference, November 2019, Copenhagen Denmark.
Author Contributions
SSM – design, planning, conduct, data analysis, manuscript writing. GC – design, planning, data analysis, manuscript writing. SB – data analysis, manuscript writing. VS – design, planning, data analysis, manuscript writing. All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting or revising the article, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work.