Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  2009 Dec;52(12):1296-1305.

Socioeconomic burden of the polycystic ovary syndrome

• Kim HN
• Jeong KA
• Chung HW
• Bae GR
• Han BG
• Kim HL

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to estimate socioeconomic burden of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) during the reproductive life span using current definitions and prevalence or incidence data.
METHODS
Questionnaires were given to 8,588 reproductive women reviewed at Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital. The PCOS affected approximately 10.4% of reproductive-aged women (11 million women in Korea, prevalence rate according to 1990 National Institutes of Health PCOS diagnosis criteria). We tied general societal cost data for the different health consequences to reproductive-age PCOS costs, using prevalence data.
RESULTS
We estimated the mean annual cost of the initial evaluation to be 76 hundred million won, that of hormonally treating menstrual dysfunction, providing infertility care, diagnosis/treatment of endometrial hyperplasia, GDM, type 2 DM, and hypertension to be 280 billion won. The total annual socioeconomic cost of evaluating and providing care to reproductive-aged PCOS women in Korea is 350 billion won.
CONCLUSION
Because the cost of the diagnostic evaluation accounted for a relatively minor part of the total socioeconomic costs, more widespread screening for PCOS appears be a cost-effective strategy, leading to earlier diagnosis and intervention and possibly the amelioration and prevention of serious sequelae.

Keyword

Socioeconomic burden; Polycystic ovary syndrome

MeSH Terms

Endometrial Hyperplasia
Female
Humans
Hypertension
Incidence
Infertility
Korea
Mass Screening
National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Prevalence
Surveys and Questionnaire