title: Daily menstrual blood loss and quality of life in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive blood loss during menstruation is a major problem for women of reproductive age. Women who experience heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) often present to physicians because of the subsequent negative impact HMB has on their daily lives and activities. The objective of this post-hoc analysis is to evaluate daily menstrual blood loss (MBL) in women with HMB and assess the relationship between daily MBL and women's perceptions of MBL, limitations in physical activities and limitations in social/leisure activities as measured by the Menorrhagia Impact Questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from two randomized, placebo-controlled studies of an oral tranexamic acid formulation in women with HMB were assessed. Daily MBLs and Menorrhagia Impact Questionnaire scores were evaluated for two pretreatment cycles and the first three tranexamic acid treatment cycles of each study. Effect-size analyses were not conducted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Highest daily MBLs occurred on days 2 and 3 of menstrual cycles. Women's perceptions of daily MBL were consistent with objective measures of MBL. Higher daily MBL was related to increased limitations in physical activities and limitations in social/leisure activities. Daily MBL values were consistent with women's perceptions of MBL. Reduced daily MBL was associated with improvements in health-related quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Carolina Women's Research & Wellness Center, Durham, NC 27713, USA. andrealukes@cwrwc.com
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lukes
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eder
authors.forename: Tammie L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Adomako
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D058869:Gynecological Examination; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014148:Tranexamic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000933:Antifibrinolytic Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins; D014148:Tranexamic Acid; D005293:Ferritins