Abstract
Introduction: A large majority of women may spend a significant part of their lives in the postmenopausal stage. Transition to menopause usually represents a milestone affecting their quality of life. Vasomotor symptoms are characterized by hot flashes and/or night sweats.
Objective: This study used a survey intended to determine the prevalence of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms and to collect data to evaluate the associated economic burden through the collection of healthcare resource utilization, as well as the number of women seeking medical advice (primary care and different types of specialty healthcare professionals), number of women receiving drug therapy and calculating out-of-pocket expenses.
Methods: Cross-sectional study in peri- and postmenopausal women aged 40 to 65 years with moderate to severe menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms in Mexico, as a sub-study of the NCT05083884 clinical trial. An active panel was used to identify participants, who filled an online survey regarding the symptoms they experienced in the previous week, how it impacts their quality of life, sleep pattern, and their interactions with healthcare professionals.
Results: A total of 7,728 women were contacted, of whom 1,697 were selected; 412 filled out the survey, of which 17% presented vasomotor symptoms. Most of them experienced more than 3 symptoms, affecting their work and non-work-related activities by 5.9% and 35.7%, respectively. Furthermore, 78.4% of respondents sought medical care. Over 50% of women reported being on some type of treatment.
Conclusions: In accordance with other studies, an elevated proportion of women was found to experience moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms, and these symptoms had an impact on their quality of life.
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