[Correlation between age and overactive bladder symptoms in young women in Brazil]

Overactive bladder symptom bother and health-related quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren syndrome

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this paper is to assess overactive bladder (OAB) symptom bother (SB) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS).

METHODS

We recruited adult SLE and pSS patients and two groups of age- and sex-matched controls. We applied the OAB questionnaire-short form (OABq-SF) to all participants to assess SB and HRQL and collected clinical information relevant for OAB. We compared the OABq-SF scores for SB and HRQL between patients and controls using univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

We recruited 95 rheumatic patients (68 SLE, 27 pSS) and 231 controls. Compared to controls SLE patients showed higher OABq-SF SB scores (22.6 ± 20.4 vs 14.7 ± 17.0, p = 0.004) and lower HRQL scores (89.8 ± 15.8 vs 93.8 ± 11.4, p = 0.044). On multivariate analysis SLE was significantly associated with a higher SB score (ß-coefficient 7.13, p = 0.008) and tended to be associated with worse HRQL values (ß-coefficient -3.53, p = 0.055). Patients with pSS had numerically higher mean SB scores (22.8 ± 22.5 vs 16.2 ± 18.0, respectively, p = 0.107) and lower HRQL scores (91.0 ± 10.7 vs 93.2 ± 11.6, respectively, p = 0.369), although these differences were not statistically significant. Diagnosis of pSS was not significantly associated with SB or HRQL scores on univariate or multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with SLE have significantly worse OAB-SB and poorer HRQL compared to controls. A similar trend was seen for pSS patients, especially for SB. These findings suggest that clinically subtle OAB symptoms may be present in rheumatic patients for whom, later on, bladder pain syndrome may occur.

Association between Menopausal Symptoms and Overactive Bladder: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey in China

Purpose

The association between menopause and overactive bladder is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between menopausal symptoms and overactive bladder, and identify the risk factors for overactive bladder.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed. The study included 403 women aged 36–76 years who visited the menopause clinic at Peking University First Hospital between September 2012 and December 2013. The overactive bladder symptom score and modified Kupperman index questionnaires were used. Differences were assessed using descriptive statistics to determine any association between the overactive bladder symptom score and modified Kupperman index score, and to evaluate the risk factors for overactive bladder.

Results

A total of 304 women were finally enrolled. The prevalence of overactive bladder was 9.43%, and the modified Kupperman index score; number of sexual problems; and frequency of urinary tract infections, vertigo, melancholia, and mood swings were significantly higher in patients with overactive bladder than in the patients without overactive bladder (p < 0.05). Menopausal symptoms (modified Kupperman index score ≥ 15) (odds ratio: 1.049, 95% confidence interval: 1.006–1.095, p = 0.025) and a low frequency of sexual intercourse in the last 6 months (odds ratio: 2.580, 95% confidence interval: 1.228–5.422, p = 0.012) were identified as independent risk factors for overactive bladder. The frequency of sexual intercourse was found to decrease with an increase in the severity of overactive bladder (p = 0.004, linear-by-linear association = 0.001).

Conclusion

Menopausal symptoms may be closely associated with overactive bladder, and sexual activity may be associated with the severity of overactive bladder. Moreover, sexual problems, urinary tract infections, vertigo, melancholia, and mood swings may be associated with overactive bladder.