Diagnosis and treatment of menorrhagia

Oral hormonal therapy as treatment option for abnormal uterine bleeding

BACKGROUND

abnormal uterine bleeding is a very frequent reason for referral to gynaecologists and can deeply influence the quality of life. Once organic causes requiring surgical treatment are ruled out, clinicians should be able to manage these patients conservatively in the most effective way.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

a search in PubMed/MEDLINE database was conducted in order to find relevant and recent meaningful sources for this narrative review.

RESULTS

LNG-IUS 52 mg is the first-line treatment for non-organic causes. Nevertheless, it could be contraindicated or declined by the patient. Combined oral contraceptives (COC) and progestin-only pills inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, preventing ovulation, and induce endometrial atrophy. Consequently, they are effective in treating AUB. Moreover, brand new pills containing a combination of oestrogens, progestins and GnRH antagonists are now available for the management of AUB related to uterine fibroids.

CONCLUSIONS

In daily clinical practice, oral hormonal therapies are convenient and reversible tools to manage AUB when LNG-IUS 52 mg is contraindicated or turn down by the patient. Many oral hormonal therapies are prescribed to treat AUB, but only a few have been approved with this specific indication, therefore further large well-designed studies are necessary in order to compare the efficacy of different pills for treating AUB.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Guide to the young person with menorrhagia and dysmenorrhoea

Adolescents who menstruate commonly present to acute paediatric services.

Endometrial Cryoablation for the Treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding: 36-Month Outcomes from the CLARITY Study

Study Objective

To examine long-term outcomes from the pivotal study that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the Cerene^® Cryotherapy Device (Channel Medsystems, Berkeley, CA) in premenopausal women with heavy menstrual bleeding due to benign causes who have completed childbearing.

Methods

The prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label study had eight sites in the USA, one in Mexico, and two in Canada. Inclusion criteria included uterine sound ≤10 cm, endometrial cavity length 2.5 to 6.5 cm, age 25 to 50 years, a pictorial blood loss assessment chart score of ≥150, no submucosal myomata and/or uterine obstruction, distortion, or abnormality. A total of 242 subjects underwent a 2.5-minute cryoablation. Long-term follow-up visits were conducted at Month 24 and Month 36. Data collected included gynecological adverse events, description of last menstrual period, contraception status, self-report of pregnancy, medical or surgical interventions to treat abnormal uterine bleeding, satisfaction, recommendation, and quality of life (QoL). QoL outcomes were measured with the Menorrhagia Impact Questionnaire (MIQ) and the Premenstrual Symptoms Impact Survey (PMSIS™).

Results

201 subjects completed their Month 36 final study visit. Subject outcomes were comparable to those at Month 12. Eighty-nine percent of subjects reported amenorrhea, a lighter-than-normal, or normal period, 91% of subjects had no or slight limitations in MIQ measured activities, and 85% reported premenstrual symptoms at a low frequency. Eighty-five percent of the subjects were satisfied or very satisfied. The cumulative incidence of hysterectomy was 5% and reintervention was 8.7%. Forty-nine gynecologic adverse events (AE) were reported; one non-serious AE, postcoital bleeding, was reported as related to the procedure. No serious device-related or procedure-related AEs were reported.

Conclusion

Study data demonstrate that the positive effects of Cerene Cryotherapy Device treatment are sustained through Month 36 and that the risks associated with the device and procedure are low (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02842736).

Interventions for heavy menstrual bleeding; overview of Cochrane reviews and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with women's quality of life, regardless of the absolute amount of bleeding. It is a very common condition in women of reproductive age, affecting 2 to 5 of every 10 women. Diverse treatments, either medical (hormonal or non-hormonal) or surgical, are currently available for HMB, with different effectiveness, acceptability, costs and side effects. The best treatment will depend on the woman's age, her intention to become pregnant, the presence of other symptoms, and her personal views and preferences.

OBJECTIVES

To identify, systematically assess and summarise all evidence from studies included in Cochrane Reviews on treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), using reviews with comparable participants and outcomes; and to present a ranking of the first- and second-line treatments for HMB.

METHODS

We searched for published Cochrane Reviews of HMB interventions in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The primary outcomes were menstrual bleeding and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, adverse events and the requirement of further treatment. Two review authors independently selected the systematic reviews, extracted data and assessed quality, resolving disagreements by discussion. We assessed review quality using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2 tool and evaluated the certainty of the evidence for each outcome using GRADE methods. We grouped the interventions into first- and second-line treatments, considering participant characteristics (desire for future pregnancy, failure of previous treatment, candidacy for surgery). First-line treatments included medical interventions, and second-line treatments included both the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) and surgical treatments; thus the LNG-IUS is included in both groups. We developed different networks for first- and second-line treatments. We performed network meta-analyses of all outcomes, except for quality of life, where we performed pairwise meta-analyses. We reported the mean rank, the network estimates for mean difference (MD) or odds ratio (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and the certainty of evidence (moderate, low or very low certainty). We also analysed different endometrial ablation and resection techniques separately from the main network: transcervical endometrial resection (TCRE) with or without rollerball, other resectoscopic endometrial ablation (REA), microwave non-resectoscopic endometrial ablation (NREA), hydrothermal ablation NREA, bipolar NREA, balloon NREA and other NREA.

MAIN RESULTS

We included nine systematic reviews published in the Cochrane Library up to July 2021. We updated the reviews that were over two years old. In July 2020, we started the overview with no new reviews about the topic. The included medical interventions were: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antifibrinolytics (tranexamic acid), combined oral contraceptives (COC), combined vaginal ring (CVR), long-cycle and luteal oral progestogens, LNG-IUS, ethamsylate and danazol (included to provide indirect evidence), which were compared to placebo. Surgical interventions were: open (abdominal), minimally invasive (vaginal or laparoscopic) and unspecified (or surgeon's choice of route of) hysterectomy, REA, NREA, unspecified endometrial ablation (EA) and LNG-IUS. We grouped the interventions as follows. First-line treatments Evidence from 26 studies with 1770 participants suggests that LNG-IUS results in a large reduction of menstrual blood loss (MBL; mean rank 2.4, MD -105.71 mL/cycle, 95% CI -201.10 to -10.33; low certainty evidence); antifibrinolytics probably reduce MBL (mean rank 3.7, MD -80.32 mL/cycle, 95% CI -127.67 to -32.98; moderate certainty evidence); long-cycle progestogen reduces MBL (mean rank 4.1, MD -76.93 mL/cycle, 95% CI -153.82 to -0.05; low certainty evidence), and NSAIDs slightly reduce MBL (mean rank 6.4, MD -40.67 mL/cycle, -84.61 to 3.27; low certainty evidence; reference comparator mean rank 8.9). We are uncertain of the true effect of the remaining interventions and the sensitivity analysis for reduction of MBL, as the evidence was rated as very low certainty. We are uncertain of the true effect of any intervention (very low certainty evidence) on the perception of improvement and satisfaction. Second-line treatments Bleeding reduction is related to the type of hysterectomy (total or supracervical/subtotal), not the route, so we combined all routes of hysterectomy for bleeding outcomes. We assessed the reduction of MBL without imputed data (11 trials, 1790 participants) and with imputed data (15 trials, 2241 participants). Evidence without imputed data suggests that hysterectomy (mean rank 1.2, OR 25.71, 95% CI 1.50 to 439.96; low certainty evidence) and REA (mean rank 2.8, OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.29 to 5.66; low certainty evidence) result in a large reduction of MBL, and NREA probably results in a large reduction of MBL (mean rank 2.0, OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.53 to 7.23; moderate certainty evidence). Evidence with imputed data suggests hysterectomy results in a large reduction of MBL (mean rank 1.0, OR 14.31, 95% CI 2.99 to 68.56; low certainty evidence), and NREA probably results in a large reduction of MBL (mean rank 2.2, OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.29 to 6.05; moderate certainty evidence). We are uncertain of the true effect for REA (very low certainty evidence). We are uncertain of the effect on amenorrhoea (very low certainty evidence). Evidence from 27 trials with 4284 participants suggests that minimally invasive hysterectomy results in a large increase in satisfaction (mean rank 1.3, OR 7.96, 95% CI 3.33 to 19.03; low certainty evidence), and NREA also increases satisfaction (mean rank 3.6, OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.33; low certainty evidence), but we are uncertain of the true effect of the remaining interventions (very low certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Evidence suggests LNG-IUS is the best first-line treatment for reducing menstrual blood loss (MBL); antifibrinolytics are probably the second best, and long-cycle progestogens are likely the third best. We cannot make conclusions about the effect of first-line treatments on perception of improvement and satisfaction, as evidence was rated as very low certainty. For second-line treatments, evidence suggests hysterectomy is the best treatment for reducing bleeding, followed by REA and NREA. We are uncertain of the effect on amenorrhoea, as evidence was rated as very low certainty. Minimally invasive hysterectomy may result in a large increase in satisfaction, and NREA also increases satisfaction, but we are uncertain of the true effect of the remaining second-line interventions, as evidence was rated as very low certainty.

Efficacy of Oral Tranexamic Acid Versus Combined Oral Contraceptives for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Introduction Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is characterized by high blood loss (>80 mL per cycle) at regular menstrual intervals. It can have an impact on a woman's bodily, mental, and/or material well-being. The etiology is varied and can be local, systemic, or iatrogenic. The occurrence of HMB is between 4% and 27%, depending on objective menstrual bleeding measurements and on high estimates based on subjective bleeding measures. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of oral tranexamic acid versus combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills in the management of excessive menstrual bleeding. Methodology A comparative study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Combined Military Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan, from October 2020 to March 2021. Women aged above 18 years who presented with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) were included in the study. The exclusion criteria included all women with contraindications to the use of tranexamic acid, such as lactating mothers, pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives or steroids, history of renal malfunction or stroke, family history of thromboembolic disease, and ovarian or endometrial carcinoma. Patients with diagnosed leiomyomas with a size between >1 and 10 cm were included in the study. Women were allocated randomly into group A who received oral tranexamic acid 3.9-4 g per day or group B who received oral COC pills containing a combination of ethinyl estradiol 30 μg and norgestrel 0.3 mg. The efficacy of treatment was considered successful if there was a mean reduction in menstrual blood loss that was significantly greater than the baseline values. Results There were 178 patients in total, with 89 patients in each group. It was found that both oral tranexamic acid and combined oral contraceptives were equally effective in reducing the mean blood loss among patients and there was no statistical difference observed between the two groups. Upon stratification, it was found that both treatment groups were highly effective in younger age groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference in efficacy with respect to diabetes mellitus or hypertension. However, in individuals with leiomyomas, efficacy was significantly higher in patients who were in group B (combined oral contraceptives) (p = 0.004), and 46.1% of women in group A and 60.6% of women in group B did not experience any discomfort. Conclusion The current study revealed that both oral tranexamic acid and COC pills were equally effective in reducing the mean blood loss among patients with HMB. It was further found that the efficacy of both therapies was significantly higher in younger age groups. The efficacy of therapy was significantly reduced with the increasing age of the patient. Moreover, it was found that patients with leiomyomas benefitted more significantly from COC pills. There were no severe adverse effects reported in the study. However, future researches can explore the long-term side effects of both therapies. In short, both therapies were comparable in terms of efficacy and safety. Heavy menstrual bleeding can negatively impact a woman, emotionally and physically. Therefore, it is encouraged that physicians use their expert judgment while prescribing either oral tranexamic acid or COC pills to patients with HMB.

Prevalence and knowledge of heavy menstrual bleeding among gynecology outpatients by scanning a WeChat QR Code

The aim of this study was to assess menstrual blood loss (MBL) and knowledge of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) among the gynecology outpatients at Peking University People’s Hospital, by scanning a WeChat (a social media application software developed by Tencent) QR Code using a mobile phone or tablet. This survey was conducted among outpatients who were treated at the Gynecology Department of Peking University People’s Hospital between September 2016 and November 2016. All participants filled up the questionnaires and scales through WeChat: general information questionnaire, Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBAC), Menorrhagia Multi-Attribute Quality-of-Life Scale (MMAS), and HMB knowledge questionnaire. Menstrual blood volume was assessed by the PBAC and self-assessment. Among the 1152 patients who filled out the survey, 77.4% (892/1152) had normal menstrual cycle (assessed by the patients), 15.6% (180/1152) patients described themselves as HMB, whereas the results from PBAC showed that 58.0% (668/1152) had HMB (PBAC ≥100). Among patients with PBAC ≥100, only 26.8% (179/668) patients reported HMB through self-assessment. Regarding its impact on daily life, the MMAS scores of HMB patients (PBAC ≥100) were significantly lower compared to those with normal blood loss (P<0.001). Regarding the awareness to HMB, 63.2% (728/1152) of the patients were not familiar with HMB. HMB is a common abnormal uterine bleeding and is frequently found among Chinese gynecology outpatients. HMB has major impacts on a woman’s quality of life, affecting both physical and emotional health domains. Since women generally have low levels of awareness and understanding of HMB, they could assess their blood loss using the PBAC, which they can forward to their health care provider using a mobile phone or tablet and the WeChat platform. This tool may be effortlessly used by the health care providers and patients to easily share HMB-related data.

"Evaluation of the effect of roasted lentil flour (lentil savigh) as a functional food in menstrual bleeding reduction"

BACKGROUND

Menorrhagia is a regular menstrual cycle lasting more than seven days and/or blood loss over 80 mL per cycle. One of the herbs recommended in Iranian traditional medicine for menorrhagia treatment is lentil savigh, which is the flour made from roasted lentil (Lens culinaris medic).

METHODS

The current randomized clinical trial was conducted on 54 patients within the age range of 18 to 50 years randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group took three 10-gram lentil savigh sachets in the morning. The control group was treated with 500 mg tranexamic acid capsule every eight hours, both from the first day of menstruation for seven days. Patient's bleeding was evaluated by the pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC), before and in each of the three treatment cycles. Quality of life was evaluated by the menorrhagia questionnaire (MQ) at the beginning and the end of the study for each patient.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) of PBAC scores significantly decreased before and after three cycles from 383.5(163) to 222.1(128.6) in the lentil savigh group (P < 0.0001), and from 333.8(141.3) to 239.1(132.6) in the tranexamic acid group (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.6). Quality of life significantly improved in the lentil savigh group from 61.5(12.3) to 34.4(14.6) in comparison with that of the tranexamic acid group changing from 56.3(11.1) to 46.8(12.7) (P < 0.004).

CONCLUSION

Both products were effective in menstrual bleeding reduction, but lentil savigh improved the quality of life more effectively. Therefore, lentil savigh, as a functional food, could be introduced as a good initial choice for menorrhagia treatment.

The influence of haemoglobin and iron on in vitro mycobacterial growth inhibition assays

The current vaccine against tuberculosis, live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis BCG, has variable efficacy, but development of an effective alternative is severely hampered by the lack of an immune correlate of protection. There has been a recent resurgence of interest in functional in vitro mycobacterial growth inhibition assays (MGIAs), which provide a measure of a range of different immune mechanisms and their interactions. We identified a positive correlation between mean corpuscular haemoglobin and in vitro growth of BCG in whole blood from healthy UK human volunteers. Mycobacterial growth in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from both humans and macaques was increased following the experimental addition of haemoglobin (Hb) or ferric iron, and reduced following addition of the iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO). Expression of Hb genes correlated positively with mycobacterial growth in whole blood from UK/Asian adults and, to a lesser extent, in PBMC from South African infants. Taken together our data indicate an association between Hb/iron levels and BCG growth in vitro, which may in part explain differences in findings between whole blood and PBMC MGIAs and should be considered when using such assays.

Does the working temperature affect the outcome following microwave endometrial ablation?

BACKGROUND

Menorrhagia is a common gynaecological complaint, with significant burden to both its sufferers and health service providers. The first line of treatment is usually medical/pharmaceutical although in some cases surgery is required. There are now a number of minimally invasive surgical techniques available that ablate the uterine lining and prevent the need for the removal of the uterus. Microwave endometrial ablation (MEA) is one of these techniques, and this paper investigates the effect of the working temperature on outcome.

METHODS

A retrospective case note review of women who underwent MEA between June 2000 and August 2004. All women had a hysteroscopy followed by MEA. The duration of the procedure and mean working temperature of the MEA treatment was calculated. Women were followed up 6-8 months after surgery.

FINDINGS

Two hundred and eleven women underwent the procedure, with an average duration of menorrhagia of 30 months prior to the procedure. Eighty-nine percent attended follow-up, 80 % were satisfied with the procedure and 40 % were amenorrhoeic. When the procedure was performed at higher working temperature within the manufacturers guidelines women were more likely to be amenorrhoeic (78.4 vs. 77.1 °C, p = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

MEA is more effective in treating menorrhagia when used at a higher operating temperature.

Severe anemia from heavy menstrual bleeding requires heightened attention

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to analyze the behaviors of women that resulted in menstrually related severe anemia (hemoglobin <5 g/dL) from a single public hospital serving indigent women.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort study of all women identified as having been treated at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for excessive menstruation (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, codes 285.9, 6256.2) and hemoglobin values less than 5 g/dL in the 6 years from 2008 to 2013.

RESULTS

Approvals were obtained from the Human Subjects and Research Committees. This search identified 271 women with those 2 diagnoses; 122 were excluded because their severe anemia had nonmenstrual causes. The remaining 149 women had 168 episodes with hemoglobin levels below 5 g/dL attributed to chronic excessive menstrual bleeding. Mean age was 41 years (range, 19-55 years). Mean body mass index was 28.9 kg/m(2) (range, 18-57 kg/m(2)); 58.2% were actively bleeding at presentation, and 90.4% reported chronic excessive blood loss. Two thirds recognized heavy bleeding that had persisted for more than 6 months without seeking help. However, 7.8% described their bleeding as normal, and 40.5% had received at least 1 previous transfusion. Mean nadir hemoglobin was 4.15 g/dL (range, 1.6-4.9 g/dL). Mean corpuscular volume was 62.2 fL (range, 47.7-99.8 fL) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was 29.2 g/dL (range, 25.7-33.6 g/dL). Nearly a quarter had reactive thrombocytosis, which might have created a hypercoagulable state. Bleeding was ultimately attributed to leiomyoma in 47.9%; cancer was detected in 4.8%. A total of 33.9% were discharged without being offered any therapy to prevent subsequent bleeding; 3.0% declined any medical therapy; 35.1% were lost to follow-up prior to receiving effective therapy; and 26.8% had multiple subsequent transfusions before seeking/receiving definitive treatments.

CONCLUSION

Even when faced with potentially life-threatening anemia because of chronic, excessive menstrual blood loss, some women are not impressed with the serious nature of their problem. Women will benefit from recognizing the health consequences of chronic excessive blood loss. Chronic excessive blood loss should be treated as both an urgent and potentially recurrent problem; physicians should address this clinical concern proactively.

Economic and clinical benefits of radiofrequency ablation versus hysterectomy in patients suffering from menorrhagia: a retrospective analysis with German health claims data

OBJECTIVE

To assess clinical and economic benefits of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) compared to hysterectomy when treating patients suffering from menorrhagia.

METHODS

Based on German health claims data, a retrospective, longitudinal, observational analysis was performed. Patients having continuously statutory health insurance coverage during the study and being coded for menorrhagia and a relevant treatment option were included in the analysis. The control group was created using propensity score matching.

RESULTS

We discovered that using RFA generates cost savings of €1844 during the quarter of performance. As direct costs during a 2-year follow-up show similar levels in both groups, these initial savings can be preserved. This is partly because even if more patients in the RFA group were re-coded for menorrhagia after initial therapy, just a small proportion of these patients required another surgical intervention.

CONCLUSION

RFA should more often be considered a relevant treatment option both from an economic and a medical point of view.

Does postoperative pain predict the outcome of endometrial ablation?

AIM

In this article, we hypothesized that significant pain in the immediate postoperative period is due to a deeper degree of thermal ablation, down to the myometrial layer, and consequently an increased likelihood of successful outcome.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 87 subjects who underwent thermal balloon endometrial ablation as the sole procedure under general anesthesia, administered by the same anesthetist using a standard protocol over a 10-year period from 2000 to 2010 at Thornbury Hospital, Sheffield, UK. All the cases were performed by the same surgeon in one hospital.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight (32.2%) subjects experienced severe or intractable pain within 1 h after the thermal balloon endometrial ablation procedure, while 26 (29.9%) subjects required morphine injection in the postoperative period. Overall, more than 70% of women experienced significant reduction in their menstrual flow. There was no difference in the clinical outcome between those who did or did not experience severe pain or between those who did or did not require morphine injection in the postoperative period.

CONCLUSION

The amount of postoperative pain did not predict the outcome of thermal balloon endometrial ablation.

Is heavy menstrual bleeding investigated and managed appropriately?

Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) accounts for approximately 20% of gynaecology referrals. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendations provide the framework for evidence-based management of HMB. Despite this, previous studies have highlighted significant variation in the investigation and management of HMB. This was an observational study of clinical practice performed by retrospective case note reviews of 43 women referred to the Royal Bolton NHS Foundation Trust with HMB between May and June 2011. The care that these women received was evaluated and compared with that currently recommended by clinical guidelines. The investigation and management of HMB in both primary and secondary care was variable, often failing to meet standards recommended by NICE. Greater awareness of NICE guidance may result in improved care. Educational sessions and information provision targeted at healthcare professionals who manage women with HMB, may be beneficial.

Retrospective analysis of variation in heavy menstrual bleeding treatments by age and underlying cause

OBJECTIVE

To describe treatment patterns associated with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) in US practice.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective claims-based analysis of organic (ICD-9 codes 218.x, 621.0, 622.7, 219.x, and bleeding disorders) or idiopathic (no underlying condition identified) HMB treatment patterns among newly diagnosed, commercially insured women who were enrolled in a large US health plan. First HMB claim (index date; ICD-9-CM 626.2 and 627.0), second HMB claim within 180 days of index date, and continuous enrollment ≥6 months prior to (pre-index period) and 18 months following (post-index period) index date were required.

RESULTS

The database included 13,579 organic and 21,362 idiopathic HMB patients. More organic HMB patients received only one treatment type (64% vs 58%; p < 0.001) or two treatments types (14% vs 11%; p < 0.001) compared to idiopathic HMB patients. During the 18 month post-index period, fewer organic HMB patients had no observed treatment compared to idiopathic HMB patients (21% vs 31%; p < 0.001). The idiopathic cohort had significantly higher rates (p < 0.001) of medication use and endometrial ablation, whereas the organic HMB cohort had a higher rate of hysterectomy (p < 0.001). Women <35 years were more frequently prescribed medical treatments (p ≤ 0.037), while women aged >35 years utilized significantly more surgical approaches (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Among organic and idiopathic HMB patients, considerable variation was observed in the medications and procedures used to treat HMB. Current treatment pattern awareness may improve HMB management. Future research is needed to understand factors that influence women's treatment choices (including newer medications LNG-IUS and tranexamic acid) and age in relation to child-bearing preference.

Management of heavy menstrual bleeding in general practice

BACKGROUND

Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common symptom that leads women to seek medical treatment. Sources of HMB are variable; patients may present with obvious uterine pathology, systemic disease, or even localized hemostatic dysregulation that defies clinical measurement. Whereas surgical intervention even in the absence of overt pathology had historically been the most common route of treatment for HMB, an expanding therapeutic armamentarium provides greater options and the possibility of maintaining fertility in affected women.

SCOPE

A descriptive literature review was performed to identify relevant articles discussing the management of HMB. The PubMed database was searched using the terms 'heavy menstrual bleeding', 'menorrhagia', 'abnormal uterine bleeding', or 'dysfunctional uterine bleeding' in combination with 'diagnosis', 'treatment', 'management', or 'guidelines'. Results were limited to articles published in English within the past 10 years. Additional statements, consensus documents, and clinical guidelines were located through review of professional society websites.

FINDINGS

For practical purposes, a subjective definition of HMB (i.e., excessive menstrual blood loss that is not tolerated by the patient and adversely affects quality of life) rather than objective measures can be used by the clinician as the basis for further investigation. Standard diagnostic examinations and initiation of therapy are well within the purview of the general practitioner. A wide variety of medical therapy options are available, although few treatments are specifically indicated for the management of HMB. The approval of tranexamic acid in the United States specifically for the treatment of HMB is a recent development that provides practitioners with an effective, noncontraceptive alternative medical therapy. For women without evidence of uterine pathology, invasive/surgical procedures are generally considered as a second-line treatment option.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the breadth of available medical and surgical treatment choices, identifying a suitable therapeutic strategy should be feasible for all patients, even in this highly heterogeneous population.

Tranexamic acid: a new option for heavy menstrual bleeding

Heavy menstrual bleeding, or menorrhagia, af ects approximately one-third of women. Treatments have included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories and oral contraceptives, although neither is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for this use. Lysteda® (tranexamic acid) has recently been approved as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. This article gives a background on menorrhagia and describes treatment with tranexamic acid, including its implications for nurses.

Next-generation NovaSure device for endometrial ablation: assessing ease-of-use among physicians

Objective

To compare physician assessment of the next-generation NovaSure^® device to the original NovaSure device.

Design

Prospective open-label, unblinded survey utilizing Likert scales.

Setting

Community-based obstetrician and gynecology practices.

Patients

There were 270 evaluations completed by 168 physicians for women undergoing endometrial ablation with the next-generation NovaSure device compared to the previous model.

Interventions

Physician survey across multiple community-based obstetrician and gynecology practices.

Measurements and main results

In general, 53.7% of women had a normal uterus, with an average cavity length of 5.3 cm ± 0.9 cm, and 44.7% of women had a normal cervix. Overall, 98.7% of physicians agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the performance of the next-generation NovaSure device compared with the previous device. Additionally, 89% of physicians rated the next-generation NovaSure device as superior to the previous device. The best rated features were the SureFit™ Cervical Seal, Smooth Access™ Tips, and the thumb-pusher. No adverse events were reported in this study.

Conclusion

Community-based physicians rated the next-generation NovaSure device as superior to the previous model in a general population of women.

Relationship between diagnosis and intervention in women with inherited bleeding disorders and menorrhagia

Menorrhagia is the most common bleeding manifestation in women with inherited bleeding disorders. There is little known about whether the management of menorrhagia is altered in specific bleeding disorders. Optimizing treatment strategies for each specific diagnosis may improve quality of life in these women. This work aimed to look for a potential relationship between the specific diagnosis of an inherited bleeding disorder and the intervention required to control the menorrhagia. A retrospective chart review was performed for all women seen in the Kingston Women and Bleeding Disorders Clinic. Patients were categorized by diagnosis into two groups: Haemophilia carriers and all others. Treatment options were grouped into two categories: Medical or gynecological/surgical. Overall, 85.7% of haemophilia carriers required gynaecological surgical management, whereas only 31.4% of patients with all other diagnoses required gynaecological/surgical management (P = 0.012, Fisher's exact test). Therefore, carriers of Haemophilia were more likely to have a better outcome in treating their menorrhagia with gynaecological or surgical management compared with medical management. This information may 1 day help to guide treatment choice for menorrhagia in women with bleeding disorders.

Effective treatment of heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding without organic cause: pooled analysis of two multinational, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of oestradiol valerate and dienogest

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of oestradiol valerate/dienogest (E₂V/DNG) for the treatment of heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding without organic pathology based on the analysis of data from two identically designed double-blind, randomised studies. Methods Women aged ≥ 18 years with heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding were randomised to E₂V/DNG (n = 269) or placebo (n = 152) for 196 days. Objective changes in menstrual blood loss (MBL) volume were assessed using the alkaline haematin method. Results After six months of treatment, median MBL decreased by 88% with E₂V/DNG compared with 24% with placebo. The greatest reduction was achieved at the first withdrawal bleed after treatment initiation and it was sustained with no loss of effect throughout treatment. Conclusion E₂V/DNG was more effective than placebo in reducing MBL in women with heavy and/or prolonged menstrual bleeding without organic pathology. The reduction was largely achieved as early as the first withdrawal bleed, with further gradual improvement throughout treatment.

Cost-effectiveness and quality of life associated with heavy menstrual bleeding among women using the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature for economic and health-related quality of life outcomes data associated with the use of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) in the management of heavy menstrual bleeding.

METHODS

We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases simultaneously using the Ovid interface to review the literature in a systematic manner for economic and health-related quality of life outcomes data associated with the use of the LNG-IUS in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. Articles were then selected for further review based on the relevance of their titles and/or abstracts. We identified 17 articles for inclusion in this review.

RESULTS

Treating heavy menstrual bleeding with the LNG-IUS was found to be cost-effective in various countries and settings. Moreover, irrespective of the measuring instrument used, health-related quality-of-life outcomes were found to be improved to a degree similar to that achieved with endometrial ablation or hysterectomy. In some cases, the LNG-IUS appeared to be more effective and less costly than the surgical options.

CONCLUSION

The LNG-IUS is a cost-effective treatment option for heavy menstrual bleeding when pharmacologic treatment is indicated.

Estimating a meaningful reduction in menstrual blood loss for women with heavy menstrual bleeding

OBJECTIVE

A dichotomy exists within the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB); guidelines and expert opinion recommend that clinical management be guided by subjective, patient-centered measures, yet clinical trials often describe treatment efficacy in terms of objective reductions in menstrual blood loss (MBL). The purpose of this investigation was to correlate subjective and objective aspects of HMB treatment by identifying the minimum change in MBL that would be considered meaningful to women.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed using data from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of a novel, oral formulation of tranexamic acid (Lysteda). The study enrolled women ages 18-49 years with a history of cyclic HMB. Menstrual blood loss was measured objectively using the alkaline hematin method and subjectively using the Menorrhagia Impact Questionnaire (MIQ), a patient-reported outcome instrument previously validated in an HMB population. Additional subgroup analyses were performed after stratification by low (80-160 mL/cycle) or high (> 160 mL/cycle) baseline MBL.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT00401193 (NIH Clinical Trials Registry)

RESULTS

A total of 278 women were included in the ROC analyses. The best balance of sensitivity and specificity was achieved for predicting a patient-perceived meaningful improvement in MBL, at a cut point of 36 mL/cycle. Absolute reductions in MBL that were considered meaningful were more modest in women with lower baseline MBL (22 mL/cycle) and greater in women with higher baseline MBL (47 mL/cycle). However, an approximately 22% MBL reduction was meaningful to the majority of women in either the low or high baseline MBL subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Reducing measurable MBL by 36 mL/cycle, or approximately 22%, was considered to be a meaningful improvement for the majority of women with HMB in this study population.

Tranexamic acid treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy and safety of an oral formulation of tranexamic acid for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding.

METHODS

Adult women with heavy menstrual bleeding (mean menstrual blood loss 80 mL or more per cycle) were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. After two pretreatment menstrual cycles, women were randomized to receive tranexamic acid 3.9 g/d or placebo for up to 5 days per menstrual cycle through six cycles. To meet the prespecified three-component primary efficacy end point, mean reduction in menstrual blood loss from baseline with tranexamic acid treatment needed to be 1) significantly greater than placebo, 2) greater than 50 mL, and 3) greater than a predetermined meaningful threshold (36 mL or higher). Health-related quality of life was measured using a validated patient-reported outcome instrument.

RESULTS

Women who received tranexamic acid (n=115) met all three primary efficacy end points: first, a significantly greater reduction in menstrual blood loss of -69.6 mL (40.4%) compared with -12.6 mL (8.2%) in the 72 women who received placebo (P<.001); reduction of menstrual blood loss exceeding a prespecified 50 mL; and last, reduction of menstrual blood loss considered meaningful to women. Compared with women receiving placebo, women treated with tranexamic acid experienced significant improvements in limitations in social or leisure and physical activities, work inside and outside the home, and self-perceived menstrual blood loss (P<.01). The majority of adverse events were mild to moderate in severity, and the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events was comparable with placebo.

CONCLUSION

In this study, a new oral tranexamic acid treatment was well tolerated and significantly improved both menstrual blood loss and health-related quality of life in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00386308.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

I.

Gynaecological and obstetrical problems in women with different bleeding disorders

The aim of this case-control study was to analyse the prevalence of gynaecological, obstetrical and other more general bleeding symptoms in 114 women affected by various inherited bleeding disorders, who were compared with 114 apparently healthy women. Retrospective information were collected by means of two specific questionnaires, one on gynaecological and obstetrical bleeding symptoms, with special focus on the presence of menorrhagia as defined by a pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC); and the other on general bleeding symptoms, whose severity was graded by means of the bleeding score (BS). Compared to normal women, the whole group of women with inherited bleeding disorders had a higher prevalence of excessive bleeding at menarche (25% vs. 5%, P < 0.0001) and menorrhagia (59% vs. 46%, P = 0.06). Affected women also had a higher frequency than controls of general bleeding symptoms that scored as severe by a BS > or = 12 (49% vs. 0%, P < 0.0001). In affected women, the BS increased according to the severity of the haemostasis defect. In conclusions, the BS and the PBAC are simple tools to evaluate the severity of general bleeding symptoms and menorrhagia in women with inherited bleeding disorders. These instruments may help to identify those women for whom a therapeutic intervention is warranted.