Assessing the economic impact of chronic conditions in postmenopausal women.

The ageing of the US population and the recognised importance of preventative care has led to a growing body of research regarding the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic diseases in postmenopausal women. According to the National Institute of Health, postmenopausal women have a significant increase in risk for a number of debilitating diseases, including osteoporosis, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. In addition, recently published studies prompted patients, clinicians and payers to re-examine the risks and benefits of a well-accepted therapy to treat postmenopausal symptoms. The objective of this paper is to provide a framework for assessing the economic impact of disorders affecting postmenopausal women, with a particular focus on osteoporosis, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. This framework considers the prevalence of these conditions, the profiles of women suffering from each of them and prevailing patterns of treatment for these disorders. Taken together, these factors are used to analyse the overall economic impact of postmenopausal disorders and to provide an expert opinion in this context.