Dydrogesterone treatment for menstrual-cycle regularization in abnormal uterine bleeding – ovulation dysfunction patients

BACKGROUND: Dydrogesterone has shown significant efficacy in treatment of irregular menstrual cycle due to abnormal uterine bleeding - ovulation dysfunction (AUB-O), but there were few relevant studies. This observational study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of dydrogesterone for the treatment of Chinese patients with AUB-O. AIM: To evaluate the effects of dydrogesterone on menstrual-cycle (MC) regularization and metabolism in the patients with AUB-O. METHODS: A prospective, non-interventional, single-arm, post-marketing observational study was conducted. Chinese women aged 16 years or above with AUB-O who had been prescribed dydrogesterone were enrolled. The patients were treated with dydrogesterone 10 mg from day 16 to day 25 of each cycle, consecutively for at least 3 cycles. The main outcome was defined as the percentage of patients whose MCs returned to normal (defined as 21 d < menstrual cycle ≤ 35 d) after three cycles of dydrogesterone treatment. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen women with AUB-O were enrolled in the present study. Of 89 patients who completed treatment, 72 (80.9%) achieved a regular MC at the end of the 3(rd) circle. The level of androgen, including testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, declined significantly (P = 0.01 and 0.031, respectively), whereas other hormone levels remained steady. During the treatment, 44/80 (55.0%) subjects in the per-protocol set had reported biphasic basal body temperature. CONCLUSION: Dydrogesterone therapy was effective in achieving MC regularization for Chinese patients with AUB-O.