Featured paper Postmenopausal overactive bladder

Abstract

Bladder storage symptoms have a severe impact on many areas as regards the quality of life including health-related, social, psychological and working functions. Pharmacotherapy of lower urinary tract stores (LUTS) has been developed to optimize neural control of the lower urinary tract in pathologic states. The bladder can be overactive or underactive. Overactive bladder (OAB) is highly prevalent and is associated with considerable morbidity, especially in aging population. Therefore, an effective treatment of OAB must result in a meaningful reduction in urinary symptoms. Pharmacotherapy for the OAB must be individualized based on the degree of bother, medication side-effect profile, concomitant comorbidities and current medication regimen. Antimuscarinic agents will continue to represent the current gold standard for the first-line pharmacological management of OAB. Alternatively to antimuscarinic therapy, β3-adrenergic receptor agonists, due to their efficacy and favorable adverse event profile, are a novel and attractive option of pharmacological treatment of overactive bladder symptoms. A combination of selective antimuscarinic and β3-adrenergic receptor agonists, agents with the different mechanism of action, gives a new treatment option for the patient with OAB according to its harms profile. A number of putative novel therapeutic agents is under clinical evaluations that may ultimately provide alternative or combination treatment options for OAB in the nearest future.

Associations Between Risk Factors and Overactive Bladder: A Meta-analysis

“…44 Increased incidence of OAB with age may be linked to cerebrovascular disorders and pelvic tumors. 45 Moreover, Tomaszewski 46 reported that advanced age was associated with decreased bone mineral density and an increased risk of osteoporosis, for which fractures were serious complications. Among elderly people, OAB is associated with an increased risk of falls and fractures, which are often caused by rushing to the toilet.…”

Gastroenterological disorders increase the prevalence of overactive bladder in females at various ages

“…The reported prevalence of OAB varies between 5.9 and 15.6% and strongly correlated with aging. OAB severity tends to increase in post-menopausal women which might be associated with decreased levels of estrogen (10). In our patient cohort, the prevalence of OAB was 22.8% which might indicate the high prevalence of OAB related to gastrointestinal disorders.…”

Short-Term Efficacy of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training and Bladder Training in Postmenopausal Women with Obesity, Wide Genital Hiatus and Overactive Bladder Syndrome

“…Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome has been defined by International Continence Society as a complex of urgency and/or urge type incontinence, frequency and nocturia symptoms in the absence of a urinary tract infection or an obvious pathology. 1 OAB is a chronic disease that increases with age in women, which is observed at a rate of 7.7-31.3% throughout life. 2 It causes deterioration in the quality of life, general health status, and sexual function, as well as leading to social isolation and depression in women.…”