Fuldeore MJ, et al. – The focus of this study is to estimate the prevalence of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids and the related symptom burden in the US. It was concluded that uterine fibroids impose a heavy burden on women aged 18–54 years in the US.

Methods

• Responses of women aged 18–54 years, who completed an online survey, were examined.
• Information was weighted based on age, education, race, geographic region, income, and propensity score to derive national estimates of the prevalence of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids and related symptom burden.
• Weighted means and percentages were reported.
• Prevalence across age and ethnic groups were analyzed.
• Symptom burden among women with and without uterine fibroids was compared utilizing weighted logistic regressions.

Results

•  Of 59,411 respondents who met study inclusion criteria, 7.7% reported receiving a diagnosis of uterine fibroids.
• Of these, 5,670 women (1,402 in the uterine fibroid group and 4,268 in the control group) were not included from investigation because they had a hysterectomy.
• Among the non–hysterectomized study participants, 3,031 self–reported a diagnosis of uterine fibroids (prevalence: 5.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.5%–6.1%); prevalence increased as women aged and was greatest in the 50–54 age group (11.4%; 95% CI: 10.4%–12.4%).
• In addition, prevalence was greater in black vs white women (9.8%; 95% CI: 8.7%–11.0% vs 5.4%; 95% CI: 5.1%–5.7%).
• A greater percentage of women with uterine fibroids (vs those without) experienced severe heavy menstrual bleeding (16.7% vs 7.7%), severe constipation/bloating/diarrhea (7.7% vs 4.7%), severe passage of clots (6.7% vs 2.4%), severe spotting/bleeding between periods (1.7% vs 1.0%), and severe pelvic pressure (1.6% vs 0.6%).
• Among uterine fibroid patients with these typical uterine fibroid–related symptoms, 56.4%, 32.3%, 26.4%, 25.8%, and 20.4% reported heavy menstrual bleeding, passage of clots, spotting/bleeding between periods, constipation/bloating/diarrhea, and pelvic pressure, respectively, as extremely bothersome.