The economic impact of symptomatic menopause among low-socioeconomic women in the United States

Abstract

Background: Menopausal symptoms have a significant negative impact on patient’s quality of life and increase healthcare costs among women. Methods: This retrospective analysis used data from a U.S. national database (01 January 2008–31 December 2010). Patients with a diagnosis of menopause symptoms or a prescription claim for hormone therapy were matched to control patients. Healthcare resource utilization and costs during the 6-month follow-up period were compared. Generalized linear models were used to adjust for differences in baseline and demographic characteristics between the cohorts. Results: A total of 71,076 patients were included in each cohort. Patients with menopausal symptoms were more likely to have depression and anxiety and incurred significantly higher follow-up healthcare costs ($7237 vs $6739, p < 0.001) and healthcare utilization during the 6-month follow-up period. Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with menopausal symptoms or treated with hormone therapy incurred significantly higher healthcare costs than those without menopausal symptoms or treatment.

Keywords:

• hormone therapy
• menopause
• outcomes research

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Menopausal symptoms occur in approximately 75% of post-menopausal women. Most women experience symptoms for 6 months to 2 years; however, it has been reported that 26% of women experience symptoms for 6–10 years.

• It is important to understand the burden of menopausal women because women who experience menopausal symptoms are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and lower bone mineral density.

• The present study determined the economic burden for women diagnosed with menopausal symptoms or treated with hormone therapy.

• Results from this study indicate that menopausal patients were more likely to utilize healthcare resources, including inpatient, outpatient hospital and physician office visits than the comparison patients.

• Risk-adjusted analysis showed that patients with menopausal symptoms or treated with hormone therapy were more likely to incur higher healthcare costs over a 6-month follow-up period ($7237 vs $6739, p < 0.001).

Notes