Medical and Social Characteristics of Patients with Endometrial Hyperplasia in a Large City in Kazakhstan: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Background/

Objectives

Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is a pathology of the uterus, which is a pathological overgrowth of the endometrial glands associated with the risk of progression to endometrial cancer (EC). The purpose of this study was to conduct a retrospective comparative analysis of the medical and social characteristics of women with endometrial hyperplasia (EH) across two time periods (2016-2017 and 2023-2024) in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan.

Methods

A retrospective comparative analysis included 376 women (188 per period) with histologically confirmed EH treated in public and private healthcare facilities. Data were extracted from electronic medical systems (Damumed, Avicenna). Group differences were evaluated using the χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated; significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

The proportion of postmenopausal women increased from 22.3% to 37.8% (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.34-3.32, p < 0.001), and self-referrals to private clinics rose from 17.6% to 37.2% (OR: 2.79, 95% CI 1.73-4.49, p < 0.001). Women with higher education became more prevalent (from 26.1% to 43.6%, OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.42-3.39, p < 0.001), along with an increase in endocrine and metabolic disorders such as thyroid disease (from 4.8% to 12.2%, OR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.25-6.16) and overweight status (from 51.6% to 65.4%, OR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.17-2.69, p = 0.020). Asymptomatic cases were more frequently detected (from 18.6% to 28.2%, OR: 1.72, CI: 1.06-2.79, p = 0.028), and diagnostic approaches shifted from blind curettage (78.2% vs. 47.3%, OR: 0.25, CI: 0.16-0.39, p < 0.001) toward hysteroscopy with biopsy (from 21.3% to 53.7%, OR: 4.30, CI: 2.73-6.75, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Over seven years, the clinical and socio-demographic composition of women with EH in Almaty has changed toward older, more educated, and metabolically burdened populations, with broader access to minimally invasive diagnostic methods. The findings describe observable structural changes and risk group patterns, emphasizing the importance of prospective, registry-based, and molecularly oriented studies to refine clinical strategies for prevention and early detection.