The effect of treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on overactive bladder symptoms

"Nocturia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A systematic review"

Lower urinary tract symptoms represent a significant public health problem worldwide, impairing patients' quality of life, especially in elderly people. Among LUTS, nocturia is assessed as the most experienced entity related to several disorders such as sleep disorders and/or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Among OSAS patients, nocturia stands as a bothersome symptom that increases alongside with the OSAS severity. However, despite the nocturia and OSAS shared a long-acknowledged link, the causes, and the pathophysiology for development of nocturia in OSAS have remained largely unexamined. Generally, the patients with OSAS experienced nocturia due to easy waking or increased bladder filling. However, nor the effect of treatment on management of nocturia in OSAS patients are well-established.

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.