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Reduction of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

Quality of Life Research volume 26, pages 3069–3073 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) refers to the depression that occurs during the premenstrual phase and remits soon after the onset of menses. It affects the quality of life (QOL) of patients with PMDD. Therefore, this preliminary survey from chart recordings aimed to understand the symptom appearance and QOL reduction patterns in patients with PMDD, and to examine the extent of the loss of their quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

Methods

Participants were 66 untreated female patients with PMDD. Data on symptom appearance and QOL reduction during the menstrual cycle, and the EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) scores during the premenstrual phase and immediately after the completion of a menstrual period were collected.

Results

The mean EQ-5D score of the 66 patients with PMDD was 0.795 ± 0.120 (range 0.362–0.949), indicating that their expected mean loss of QALYs was about 0.14 years.

Conclusions

If untreated, PMDD is expected to cause a mean loss of QALYs of about 0.14 years. However, on accounting for the period from disease development to menopause, and subtracting the menstruation-free periods such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, patients with untreated PMDD are expected to experience a QALY loss of about 3 years during their lifetime.

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Fig. 1

Abbreviations

CES-D:

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale

DSM:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

EQ-5D:

EuroQoL-5D

EQ-VAS:

EuroQoL-visual analogue scale

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

PMDD:

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

PMS:

Premenstrual syndrome

QALY:

Quality-adjusted life year

QOL:

Quality of life

SSRI:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP26670544.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital, 1-12-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, 983-8512, Japan

    Kazuo Yamada

  2. Keio University Law School, 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8343, Japan

    Eiichiro Kamagata

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  1. Kazuo Yamada
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  2. Eiichiro Kamagata
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Correspondence to Kazuo Yamada.

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Yamada, K., Kamagata, E. Reduction of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Qual Life Res 26, 3069–3073 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1642-1

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Keywords

  • Quality-adjusted life years
  • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
  • Quality of life
  • EuroQoL-5D