Clinical Characteristics of Hospitalized Patients With Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Among the Kyrgyz Ethnic Group in Plateau Regions

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common gynecological disorder with complex etiologies. High-altitude hypoxic environments may influence disease presentation, yet few studies have focused on Kyrgyz women in such regions. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of hospitalized Kyrgyz AUB patients in a high-altitude area. Methods: A total of 112 Kyrgyz patients with AUB who were hospitalized at People’s Hospital of Wuqia County in the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang (mean altitude 3197 m) between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2025, were included. Patients were categorized by pathological type (physiological endometrium, n = 23; functional endometrial lesions, n = 71; organic endometrial lesions, n = 18), healthcare-seeking delay (≤14 days, n = 44; >14 days, n = 68), age (<45 years, n = 68; ≥45 years, n = 44), and anemia status (non-anemic, n = 55; anemic, n = 57). Clinical data, including general characteristics, etiology, pathological types, and subgroup characteristics, were retrospectively analyzed and statistically compared. Results: The mean age of the patients was 43.21 ± 5.91 years, the mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.45 ± 4.17 kg/m2, and the median disease duration was 16.5 days. Menstrual cycle abnormalities were observed in 61.61% of patients, and ovulatory dysfunction was the predominant etiology (50.89%). The most common pathological type was disordered endometrial proliferation (44.64%). Disease duration was significantly longer in the delayed healthcare-seeking group than in the non-delayed group (p < 0.001), whereas none of the patients with diabetes mellitus exhibited delayed healthcare-seeking (p = 0.022). Patients aged 45 and older had higher BMI, gravidity, and parity, but lower platelet counts compared with those younger than 45 years (all p < 0.05). Menstrual cycle abnormalities were more frequent among women aged 45 years and older (p = 0.019), and the distribution of pathological types differed significantly between the two age groups (p = 0.017). Regarding etiological classification, the proportion of structural uterine abnormalities (PALM) was higher in patients aged 45 years and older (50.00%) than in those younger than 45 years (32.35%), a difference that approached statistical significance (p = 0.062). The structural Polyp, Adenomyosis, Leiomyoma, Malignancy and hyperplasia (PALM) etiologies were significantly more common in anemic patients than in non-anemic patients (49.12% vs. 29.09%, p = 0.030). Moreover, PALM etiology was independently associated with anemia in the exploratory multivariable analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 2.624, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.153–6.193). Conclusions: Plateau-dwelling Kyrgyz women hospitalized with AUB were predominantly middle-aged and overweight or obese, with ovulatory dysfunction as the leading etiology and disordered endometrial proliferation as the most common pathological finding. Longer disease duration was associated with delayed healthcare-seeking. Age and menstrual cycle abnormalities were associated with differences in pathological type distribution. Furthermore, PALM etiology was identified as an independent risk factor for anemia in this population.