Treatment, perceptions and burden of vasomotor symptoms among midlife women in Japan

This study aimed to investigate the association between the severity of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and the burden of the condition in the real-world setting within Japan.

The cross-sectional survey study was administered as a web-based questionnaire involving perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Respondents were female at birth, 40-64 years old and had ≥1 episode of VMS in the prior 12 months. The primary objective was to understand the treatment landscape related to mild to severe VMS. Secondary objectives were to understand attitudes to VMS, opinions on available treatments and impact of VMS on quality of life (QoL).

The target population included 2188 respondents. Only 219 (10.0%) respondents visited a medical facility for VMS, and 123 (5.6%) women consulted a doctor when visiting for other treatment. Being able to cope with symptoms was the most common reason for not attending a medical institution. More than half who received treatment were prescribed traditional Chinese medicine (181/325 [55.7%] respondents) and one-third received hormone therapy (108 [33.2%] respondents). Severe VMS were associated with lower QoL, worse sleep quality and reduced work productivity.

Women in Japan with VMS do not typically visit medical institutions or receive appropriate medical intervention even when they are aware of VMS and feel some burden.