Women with Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders After Menopause: A Vulnerable Group for Relapse

Background and Hypothesis Throughout the life stages of women with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD), lower estrogen levels are associated with more severe disease course. At perimenopause in the mid-forties, estrogen levels decline to remain persistently low after menopause. This period is hypothesized to increase relapse risk and reduce antipsychotic effectiveness in preventing relapse. Study Design The cohort of persons with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder was identified from Finnish nationwide registers (N = 61 889) and stratified by sex and age = 45 years. Hospitalizations for psychosis were defined per 5-year age group during the follow-up 1996-2017. Risk of psychosis hospitalization (Adjusted Hazard Ratio, aHR) was assessed using within-individual design, by comparing antipsychotic monotherapy use to nonuse periods in the same individuals for seven dose categories in defined daily doses (DDDs/day). Results Starting at age 45-50, women were consistently more often hospitalized for psychosis than their male peers. Women >= 45 had significantly higher aHRs than women 0.6 DDDs/day, and than men at >1.1 DDDs/day. This female-specific age-dependent decrease in effectiveness was present for clozapine doses >0.6 DDDs/day, olanzapine doses >1.4 DDDs/day, and for specific doses of quetiapine (0.9-1.1 DDDs/day) and risperidone (0.6-0.9 DDDs/day). Conclusions While younger women have a lower risk of relapse and generally need a lower antipsychotic dose to prevent rehospitalization than men, antipsychotic effectiveness declines in women after the age of 45. Starting in mid-forties, older women with SSD should be regarded as a vulnerable group that deserve special attention.