Tolterodine for the treatment of overactive bladder

Effect of combined use of tolterodine and continuous positive airway pressure vs continuous positive airway pressure only treatment on overactive bladder symptoms in women with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with urological symptoms, including overactive bladder (OAB). This study aims to determine whether combined tolterodine and CPAP therapies are more effective for patients with OSAS than CPAP treatment only.

METHODS

Women who underwent polysomnography test and were diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSAS with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) were included in the study. Data were collected on AHI, OAB awareness-8-item tool (OAB-V8), incontinence questionnaire-urinary incontinence short form (ICIQ-UI-SF), total daily urine volume (DUV), and the Benefit, satisfaction with treatment and willingness (BSW) tool. Eligible patients were randomized to receive either CPAP treatment only or combined CPAP and tolterodine treatment for 3 months.

RESULTS

Among 103 participants, a total of 60 were included. Patients in both treatment arms showed significant improvements in OAB-V8, ICIQ-UI-SF, and total DUV compared to their baseline. The mean OAB-V8 was 15.7 at baseline and 5.6 at 3 months for the combined treatment arm and 16.6 and 7.6 at 3 months for the CPAP group only (mean baseline-adjusted between-group difference -1.1 [95% CI, -12.3 to -7.4]; p < 0.001). The improvement in the mean ICIQ-UI-SF was also statistically more significant in the combined therapy group than in the CPAP only arm (mean baseline-adjusted between-group difference -3.27 [95% CI, -4.6 to -1.59]; p < 0.001). No statistical significance was found in the improvement of total DUV between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, combined use of tolterodine with CPAP provides beneficial effects to CPAP treatment only regarding OAB symptoms. Further research is required to confirm these findings in a large cohort.

Nickel/bis(oxazoline)-catalyzed asymmetric Negishi arylations of racemic secondary benzylic electrophiles to generate enantioenriched 1,1-diarylalkanes

A tertiary stereogenic center that bears two different aryl substituents is found in a variety of bioactive compounds, including medicines such as Zoloft and Detrol. We have developed an efficient method for the synthesis of enantioenriched 1,1-diarylalkanes from readily available racemic benzylic alcohols. Formation of a benzylic mesylate (which is not isolated), followed by treatment with an arylzinc reagent, LiI, and a chiral nickel/bis(oxazoline) catalyst, furnishes the Negishi cross-coupling product in high ee and good yield. A wide array of functional groups (e.g., an aryl iodide, a thiophene, and an N-Boc-indole) are compatible with the mild reaction conditions. This method has been applied to a gram-scale synthesis of a precursor to Zoloft.

An overview of the clinical use of antimuscarinics in the treatment of overactive bladder

Overactive bladder is a common and bothersome condition. Antimuscarinic agents, as a class, are the cornerstone of medical treatment of overactive bladder. They offer significant improvements in symptoms and patients' quality of life. Antimuscarinics are generally well tolerated with mild and predictable side effects. Available antimuscarinics have small, yet statistically significant, differences in their efficacy and tolerability profiles. In clinical practice, finding the agent that offers the optimum balance of efficacy and side effects for an individual patient remains the major challenge.

Nocturia and aging: diagnosis and treatment

Nocturia is a frequently encountered problem in clinical practice and a reason for nephrology consultation. Many studies have clearly shown the negative effect of nocturia on several aspects of health-related quality of life and morbidity. Age-associated physiological, structural, hormonal, and histological changes play an important role in the increasing incidence of nocturia in elderly individuals. Besides urologic conditions, nocturia may also be the initial presenting symptom in chronic kidney disease, as well as other systemic diseases. Therefore, it is essential to understand the complex pathophysiology among these factors to establish a precise diagnosis and appropriate management strategies. This review will provide an overview of the effect of aging on the kidneys and urinary system, the pathophysiology, clinical assessment, and treatment strategies of nocturia, and its effect on health-related quality of life.

Behavioral intervention versus pharmacotherapy or their combinations in the management of overactive bladder dysfunction

Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) refers to individuals with the following symptoms: urinary urgency, increased urinary frequency, and urge incontinence. These symptoms are not life threatening but can cause embarrassment and significantly impact quality of life. There are numerous treatment options for OAB, including behavioral therapy, traditional pharmacological therapy or a combination of the two. These options are considered the mainstay of treatment for OAB. We carried out a comprehensive systematic review of the available literature on the effectiveness of behavioral intervention, anticholinergic drugs, and their combination in the management of adults with overactive bladder, with emphasis on results from clinical trials and primary literature. Each treatment intervention is efficacious, and the choice should be based on the patient's severity of symptoms, tolerability, compliance and satisfaction with the treatment. Based on available literature, management of OAB using a combination of behavioral therapy and drug intervention is the most efficacious in terms of patient satisfaction, perceived improvement, and reduction of bladder symptoms. It is also the most practical and cost effective for optimal management of patients with OAB. Pharmacological treatment, in addition to behavioral therapy, remains important in the management of adults with OAB syndrome.