Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem in adults, especially among the elderly. We examined the prevalence and risk factors of UI and potential factors hindering individuals from seeking treatment for UI among a community-dwelling population aged over 40 years. Methods: Data were collected by mailing a 23-item urinary incontinence questionnaire to a random sample of community-dwelling individuals aged 40-75 years (n = 3500) in seven towns of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Collected data were then used to estimate the prevalence of UI and to provide information regarding subtypes of UI, knowledge and self-perception about UI. Results: The overall response rate was 52.5%. Prevalence of UI for male and female respondents were 10.5% and 53.7%, respectively. The incidence of urge incontinence increased as age increased in the male group. In women, stress incontinence was prevalent at all ages and the incidence of urge incontinence increased over 70 years of age. Urinary incontinence was more likely as activities of daily living limitations and cystitis increased. Women with a history of hysterectomy or diabetes mellitus and men who had stroke were at increased risk for UI. Of those who reported UI, only 3% had ever consulted doctors or other health care professionals concerning it, 25% recognized their condition as a disease and 38% considered it curable by appropriate treatments. In addition, 63% regarded UI as an unavoidable consequence of aging, 63% considered their condition was embarrassing and 54% were reluctant to seek treatment from a health professional. Conclusions: Although UI is common among community-dwelling individuals over 40 years of age, the majority of affected individuals remained untreated due to lack of knowledge and/or a negative perception of UI. Thus, community education on UI may be needed to increase the number of UI patients who receive treatment.

Glomerulations during hydrodistention are highly associated with the over expression of angiogenic growth factors in the bladder. Thus, it seems likely that neovascularization promoted by angiogenic growth factors has an important role in the pathogenesis of IC, inducing glomerulations during hydrodistension.

Background and Purpose-We, for the first time, performed in vivo x-ray angiography in the mouse brain using SPring-8, a third-generation synchrotron radiation facility. Methods-A thin PE-50 tube was placed in the unilateral external carotid artery in adult male C57BL/6J mice. While maintaining the blood flow in the internal carotid artery, 33 L of contrast agent was injected and then selective angiography of the hemisphere was performed. Results-The average diameters of cerebral artery were as follows: 142.5Ϯ7.90 m in middle cerebral artery, 138.3Ϯ9.35 m in anterior cerebral artery, 120.5Ϯ5.53 m in posterior cerebral artery, and 162.6Ϯ10.87 m in internal carotid artery (nϭ5). To demonstrate the changes in diameter, we induced hypercapnia and detected the dilatation of the vessels between 121% and 124% of the original diameters (nϭ5). We also repeated angiography in the mice before and after intracarotid injection of vasodilatation drugs papaverine hydrochloride, ATP disodium, and fasudil hydrochloride hydrate and demonstrated the chronological changes in the diameters in each artery at 1, 5, 15, and 30 minutes after injection (nϭ1 for each drug). Conclusions-Using only a minimum volume of the contrast agent, synchrotron radiation enables us to study x-ray angiography in the mouse brain. The morphology of the vessels can be clearly observed under physiological conditions. The diameters and their changes can also be successfully studied in vivo. (Stroke. 2006;37:1856-1861.)