Comparison of Healthcare Costs for Women with Treated Versus Untreated Vasomotor Symptoms Due to Menopause

• Published in: Advances in therapy 2024-05, Vol.41 (5), p.1885-1895
• Main Authors: Shiozawa, Aki, Mancuso, Shayna, Young, Christopher, Friderici, Jennifer, Tran, Summer, Trenz, Helen M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Cardiology; Endocrinology; Female; Health Care Costs - statistics & numerical data; Hot Flashes - economics; Humans; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Menopause; Middle Aged; Oncology; Original Research; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Propensity Score; Retrospective Studies; Rheumatology; United States
• ISSN: 0741-238X; 1865-8652
• DOI: 10.1007/s12325-024-02821-0

Introduction The study objective was to estimate all-cause healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and medical and pharmacy costs for women with treated versus untreated vasomotor symptoms (VMS) due to menopause. Methods A retrospective study was conducted using US claims data from Optum Research Database (study period: January 1, 2012–February 29, 2020). Women aged 40–63 years with a VMS diagnosis claim and ≥ 12 and ≥ 18 months of continuous enrollment during baseline and follow-up periods, respectively, were included. Women treated for VMS were propensity score matched 1:1 to untreated controls with VMS. Standardized differences (SDIFF) ≥ 10% were considered meaningful. A generalized linear model (gamma distribution, log link, robust standard errors) estimated the total cost of care ratio. Subgroup analyses of on- and off-label treatment costs were conducted. Results Of 117,582 women diagnosed with VMS, 20.5% initiated VMS treatment and 79.5% had no treatment. Treated women ( n  = 24,057) were matched to untreated VMS controls. There were no differences in HCRU at follow-up (SDIFF