Moderate-to-high normal levels of thyrotropin is a risk factor for urinary incontinence and an unsuitable quality of life in women over 65 years

Hypothyroidism and urinary incontinence: Prevalence and association in a Danish, female sample from the Lolland-Falster Health study

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to estimate the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in women with hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism and to examine the association of hypothyroidism and UI.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was based on the population-based Lolland-Falster Health Study (LOFUS), Denmark. Data comprising a questionnaire, physical examination, and blood samples were collected between 2016 and 2020. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and control for possible confounders: age, body mass index, diabetes, smoking, and education.

RESULTS

Of 7,699 women included in the study, 7.9% had hypothyroidism, and 2.4% had subclinical hypothyroidism. The prevalence of any UI in women with hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, and a control group (normal level of thyroid hormones) was 43.6%, 38.1%, and 39.3%, respectively. After controlling for confounders, no association between hypothyroidism and any UI (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.85-1.20) or frequent UI (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.84-1.32) were demonstrated. Additional, no association between subclinical hypothyroidism and any UI (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.64-1.18) or frequent UI (OR 1.15, 95 CI 0.79-1.69) were demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS

In our female sample, the prevalence of UI was high regardless of the thyroid status. No association between hypothyroidism and any or frequent UI was demonstrated. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 7.9%.

The Expression of Hormone Receptors as a Gateway toward Understanding Endocrine Actions in Female Pelvic Floor Muscles

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of the hormone actions and receptors expressed in the female pelvic floor muscles, relevant for understanding the pelvic floor disorders.

METHODS

We performed a literature review focused on the expression of hormone receptors mainly in the pelvic floor muscles of women and female rats and rabbits.

RESULTS

The impairment of the pelvic floor muscles can lead to the onset of pelvic floor dysfunctions, including stress urinary incontinence in women. Hormone milieu is associated with the structure and function alterations of pelvic floor muscles, a notion supported by the fact that these muscles express different hormone receptors. Nuclear receptors, such as steroid receptors, are up till now the most investigated. The present review accounts for the limited studies conducted to elucidate the expression of hormone receptors in pelvic floor muscles in females.

CONCLUSION

Hormone receptor expression is the cornerstone in some hormone-based therapies, which require further detailed studies on the distribution of receptors in particular pelvic floor muscles, as well as their association with muscle effectors, involved in the alterations relevant for understanding pelvic floor disorders.

Aging mechanisms and intervention targets

Premature aging occurs frequently to various tissues and organs resulting in the tissue-specific chronic diseases. The mechanisms of tissue-specific premature aging are largely unknown. In response to environmental cues, aging may originate from cytoplasm or the nucleus of a cell with cytoplasm aging in association with organelle degeneration in terminally differentiated cells and nuclear aging with dysfunctional telomeres and irreversible cell cycle arrest in stem and cancer cells. Either cytoplasm aging or nuclear aging may cause extracellular senescence-associated low-grade inflammation to spread aging. Referring to the recent findings in this special issue of Healthy Aging in CEPP and beyond, we describe the molecular and cellular mechanisms of physiological aging and tissue-specific pathological aging in chronic diseases.