Systemic menopausal hormone therapy treatment patterns in Danish women—A nationwide drug utilization study
Hannah K. Wood‐Kurland, Kathrine Kold Sørensen, Amalie Lykkemark Møller, Lina Steinrud Mørch, Mikkel Porsborg Andersen, Thomas Alexander Gerds, Amani Meaidi, Christian Torp‐PedersenAbstract
Objectives
This paper aims to describe the treatment patterns of contemporary systemic menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in Denmark.
Study design
This study is a nationwide drug utilization study including an open cohort of all Danish women aged >40 years between 2000–2024.
Main outcome measures
This study analysed the use of systemic MHT, identified by prescription redemption and categorized by route of administration.
Results
During the study period, n = 2 350 335 women reached the age of >40 years and n = 454 592 (19.3%) women used MHT at least once. The prevalence declined from 107.7 per 1000 women in the total cohort on 1 January 2000, to 17.8 per 1000 women on 1 January 2024. The corresponding prevalences for the age group 51–60 years decreased from 191.0 per 1000 women to 33.8 per 1000 women during the same period. The incidence declined from 15.7 per 1000 person‐years in 2000 to 4.3 per 1000 person‐years in 2023 and then increased to 8.5 per 1000 person‐years in 2024. The corresponding numbers for the age group 51–60 years were 33.9 per 1000 person‐years in 2000, 9.3 per 1000 person‐years in 2023, and 20.2 per 1000 person‐years in 2024. In 2022–2024 more women initiated transdermal (2022: 56%; 2023: 63%; 2024: 75%) than oral therapy. For women who initiated treatment before 2015, the cumulative duration of use was often <1 year (37%).
Conclusions
Prevalence and incidence of systemic MHT declined over time in Denmark, except in 2024 where the incidence increased. In recent years, more women started transdermal than oral therapy. Cumulative duration of use was often less than 1 year.