Ageing and women with bleeding disorders

As life expectancy increases, women with bleeding disorders can expect to live for decades after their menopause – potentially with a range of comorbidities including cardiovascular (CV) disease, cancer and osteoporosis. Menstrual bleeding around the menopause may be heavy and unpredictable for women with bleeding disorders (WBD). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) remains the gold standard for those with debilitating menopausal symptoms and for osteoporosis prevention. Levels of endogenous von Willebrand factor (VWF) increase with age in the general population without bleeding disorders, with an associated rise in levels of Factor VIII (FVIII). Evidence also suggests age-related increases in VWF in people with von Willebrand disease (VWD), with limited but potentially associated evidence for increases in FVIII in those with mild or moderate haemophilia A. However, it appears that age-related changes in factor levels do not correlate completely with bleeding episodes, and more data are needed to fully understand the picture. New models of comprehensive care are needed that take account of age-related comorbidities in both women and men with bleeding disorders, including the impact of polypharmacy and its potential for causing adverse effects and impaired treatment adherence. Consideration will also be needed for bleeding cover during interventions such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy that become more likely with age. Protocols and care pathways need to be updated as the implications of ageing in women and men with bleeding disorders become better understood.