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


CONCLUSIONS
Patients diagnosed with menopausal symptoms or treated with hormone therapy incurred significantly higher healthcare costs than those without menopausal symptoms or treatment.
a 1 STATinMED Research, 211 N. 4th Avenue, Suite 2B, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA.
Allison
A
Keshishian
a 1 STATinMED Research, 211 N. 4th Avenue, Suite 2B, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA.
Yuexi
Y
Wang
a 1 STATinMED Research, 211 N. 4th Avenue, Suite 2B, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA.
Lin
L
Xie
b 2 Center for Innovation and Outcomes Research, Department of Surgery, Columbia University, NY, NY.|c 3 STATinMED Research, 145 Hudson Street, Suite 200, New York, NY 10013, USA.|d 4 MEF University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Onur
O
Baser
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
hormone therapy; menopause; outcomes research