title: Health utilities associated with hemoglobin levels and blood loss in postmenopausal women: the Women's Health Initiative.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to use health-related quality of life data from the Women's Health Initiative to calculate health-related utility weights and examine differences in these health utility weights across different hemoglobin (Hgb) levels. These utility weights could then be used in future cost-effectiveness studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health utility weights were measured by the Short Form-6D (SF-6D), a health utility index derived from the Short Form Medical Outcomes questionnaire. Adjusted least square means were calculated for each level of Hgb at baseline and in longitudinal regression analysis the relationship between change in Hgb and change in the SF-6D was examined. Both baseline and longitudinal analyses were performed for all postmenopausal women and separately for those with self-reported heart failure, cancer, and osteoarthritis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with Hgb in the anemic range had lower health utility weights than those with higher Hgb levels. Longitudinally, a loss of of 2 g/dl Hgb or more was associated with a statistically significant and clinically meaningfully decline in SF-6D in all participants and also in the group of participants with cancer and osteoarthritis, but not in those with heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower levels of Hgb and a loss of Hgb are associated with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful decrement in health utility in all postmenopausal women we studied and also in those with chronic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA. Brooke_Harrow@vrtx.com
authors.forename: Brooke S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Harrow
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Assaf
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins