--- title: How cost-effective is medication for PMDD? | Niyora description: Medication for PMDD improved quality of life and was cost-effective. The choice between escitalopram and sertraline depends on how much improvement is valued. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/improvements-in-quality-adjusted-life-years-and-cost-utility-after-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How cost-effective is medication for PMDD? Study, 2018 # How cost-effective is medication for PMDD? Medication for PMDD improved quality of life and was cost-effective. The choice between escitalopram and sertraline depends on how much improvement is valued. Moderate study design 49 untreated PMDD patients seen October 2013 to February 2016 ## What they did Retrospective review of 49 PMDD patients who received medication for 3 or 6 menstrual cycles between October 2013 and February 2016. Researchers measured quality of life using a standard scale and estimated the cost per menstrual cycle. They compared the cost-effectiveness of escitalopram and sertraline. ## What they found After 6 menstrual cycles, medication improved quality of life scores by 0.190 points and quality-adjusted life years by about 0.2. The direct cost was 156,000 yen per patient. The cost-effectiveness was 823,000 yen per quality-adjusted life year gained. Escitalopram was more cost-effective than sertraline when willingness to pay was over 4,000,000 yen. ## What it means for you PMDD medication improves quality of life in a way that is considered cost-effective. The choice between specific medications depends on how much improvement is valued. The study is limited by looking only at direct costs (not lost work time) and being retrospective. Results are in Japanese yen and may not apply elsewhere. 49 PMDD patients 0.190 quality of life improvement 156,000 yen cost per patient ## About the study Original title Improvements in Quality-Adjusted Life Years and Cost-Utility After Pharmacotherapy for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Retrospective Study Authors Kamagata E, Yamada K Journal Clinical drug investigation Year 2018 Study design Study Participants 49 What was tested Pharmacotherapy with escitalopram or sertraline for 3 or 6 menstrual cycles Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s40261-017-0583-3](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40261-017-0583-3) ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)[Economic burden](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-economic-burden/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Randomised trial, 2025 Does taking an antidepressant only during the second half of your cycle reduce anger and aggression in PMDD? Randomised trial, 2000 Does sertraline improve how women with PMDD feel and function? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2026 What treatments work for PMDD? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Cohort study, 2012 How quickly does fluoxetine start working for PMDD symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗