title: [Sexual hormone and traditional Chinese patent medicine for early postmenopausal women: effect on quality of life and cost-utility analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of Premarin and Kuntai capsule (a traditional Chinese patent medicine) on the quality of life (QOL) and their cost-utility in early postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven women with menopausal syndrome in the early postmenopausal stage were randomly allocated into Premarin group (0.3 mg/day and 0.6 mg/day alternately, n=29) and Kuntai group (4 g/day, n=28). The therapies lasted for one year and the patients were followed up every 3 months. The QOL of the patients was evaluated and the utility scores were obtained from rating scale to conduct a cost-utility analysis (CUA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At each follow-up examination, no significant difference was found in the QOL between the two groups (P>0.05). The QOL obviously increased after the 1-year-long therapy in both the groups, and Kuntai required longer treatment time than Premarin to take effect. The cost-utility ratio of Premarin and Kuntai were 13581.45 yuan/QALY (quality adjusted life year) and 25105.12 yuan/QALY, respectively. Both incremental cost analysis and sensitivity analysis showed that Kuntai was more costly than Premarin. The result of per-protocol analysis was consistent with that of intention-to-treat analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At early stage of menopause, the QOL of women with menopausal syndrome can be significantly improved by low-dose Premarin and Kuntai capsule, but the latter is more costly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. zhoulingling2004@163.com
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Liang-Zhi
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liu-Lin
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Xiao-Xian
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004966:Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)