Costs associated with the management of overactive bladder and related comorbidities

Real-World Evidence for Risk Factors of Bruises and Fractures from Falls in Patients with Overactive Bladder: A Medical Record Analysis

Aim

To identify the risk factors for bruises and fractures from falls in patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods

We evaluated 1136 patients with OAB and aged ≥50 years who visited our hospital. Age, sex, frequency of nocturnal urination, and urinary incontinence type were investigated in the 360 eligible patients. Patients were divided into three groups: those patients without falls (no-fall group), those with fall bruises (bruise group), and those with fall fractures (fracture group). The risk factors for bruises and fractures in patients with OAB were evaluated using the logistic regression analysis. In addition, association between the bruises or fractures from falls and the behavior around urination during the night was investigated.

Results

The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female sex (odds ratio (OR) 2.888, p = 0.030) and nocturnal urination frequency ≥3 times/night (OR vs. ≤2 times/night, 2.940; p = 0.040) were significantly associated with bruises. Nocturnal urination frequency ≥3 times/night (OR vs. ≤2 times/night, 2.835; p = 0.026) and urge incontinence (OR 3.415, p = 0.016) were significantly associated with fractures. Behavior around urination during the night was significantly associated with fractures (p = 0.009).

Conclusion

In the real-world clinical setting, increasing nocturnal urination frequency is a common risk factor for bruises and fractures. Also, female sex and urge incontinence were the risk factors for bruises and fractures, respectively. OAB patients with urge incontinence would especially require aggressive intervention to prevent fractures during night-time voiding.

Prevalence of and Associated Factors for Overactive Bladder Subtypes in Middle-Aged Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: The living environment can manifest physiological responses in humans, with cohabiting couples often having similar health statuses. The aim of this study was to (1) examine the prevalence of the overactive bladder (OAB) with or without incontinence and (2) identify associated factors for OAB with and without incontinence (including environmental factors, such as living with a partner who has OAB) in middle-aged women. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OBA) was administered to 970 couples. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Responses to the ICIQ-OBA among middle-aged women generated a higher prevalence of OAB with incontinence (OABwet; 41%) than OAB without incontinence (OABdry; 26%; p < 0.001). The factors associated with OABwet were as follows: being age ≥ 55 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02−1.95), having a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 27 kg/m2 (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.03−2.17), having vaginitis (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.28−2.80), and having partners with OABwet (OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.74−3.19). Having partners with OABdry (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.34−2.44) was an associated factor for OABdry. Conclusions: This study identified the associated factors for OAB subtypes (OABwet and OABdry) in middle-aged women. These findings can support treatment and preventive strategies for health providers who care for patients with OAB. As part of the treatment and preventative strategies, the risk that partners may introduce to the development of OAB in women should also be considered.

Antimuscarinic use among older adults with dementia and overactive bladder: a Medicare beneficiaries study

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the incidence and predictors of antimuscarinic medication use including non-selective antimuscarinics among older adults with dementia and overactive bladder (OAB).

METHODS

The study used a new-user cohort design involving older adults (≥65 years) with dementia and OAB based on 2013-2015 Medicare data. Antimuscarinics included non-selective (oxybutynin, tolterodine, trospium, fesoterodine) and selective (solifenacin, darifenacin) medications. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the incidence and predictors of new antimuscarinic use including non-selective antimuscarinics, respectively.

RESULTS

Of the 3.38 million Medicare beneficiaries with dementia, over one million (1.05) had OAB (31.03%). Of those, 287,612 (27.39%) were reported as prevalent antimuscarinics users. After applying continuous eligibility criteria, 21,848 (10.34%) incident antimuscarinic users were identified (77.6% non-selective; 22.4% selective). Most frequently reported antimuscarinics were oxybutynin (56.3%) and solifenacin (21.4%). Multivariable analysis revealed that patients ≥75 years, of black race, and those with schizophrenia, epilepsy, delirium, and Elixhauser's score were less likely to initiate antimuscarinics. Women, those with abnormal involuntary movements, bipolar disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, muscle spasm/low back pain, neuropathic pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia, falls/fractures, myasthenia gravis, narrow-angle glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, syncope, urinary tract infection and vulvovaginitis were more likely to initiate antimuscarinics. Further, patients with muscle spasms/low back pain, benign prostatic hyperplasia and those taking higher level anticholinergics had lower odds of receiving non-selective antimuscarinics, whereas white patients, black patients and those with schizophrenia and delirium were more likely to receive them.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly one-third of dementia patients had OAB and over one-fourth of them used antimuscarinics. Majority of the incident users were prescribed non-selective antimuscarinics with several demographic and clinical factors contributing to their use. Given the high prevalence of OAB among dementia patients, there is a need to optimize their antimuscarinic use, considering their vulnerability for anticholinergic adverse effects.

Overactive Bladder Prescribing Considerations: The Role of Polypharmacy, Anticholinergic Burden, and CYP2D6 Drug‒Drug Interactions

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common disorder in the general population, and the prevalence increases with age. Adults with OAB typically have a greater number of comorbid conditions, such as hypertension, depression, and dementia, compared with adults without OAB. Subsequent to an increased number of comorbidities, adults with OAB take a greater number of concomitant medications, which may increase the risk of potentially harmful drug‒drug interactions. There are two important considerations for many of the medications approved for the treatment of OAB in the USA: anticholinergic burden and potential for drug‒drug interactions, notably related to cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6, which is responsible for the metabolism of approximately 25% of all drugs. A substantial number of drugs used for the treatment of OAB and comorbid conditions (e.g., cardiovascular and neurologic disorders) are CYP2D6 substrates or inhibitors. Furthermore, a substantial number of drugs with CYP2D6 properties also have strong anticholinergic properties. Here, we review polypharmacy associated with OAB and its common comorbidities, identify drugs with reported anticholinergic properties, and provide an overview of clinically relevant drug‒drug interactions in the treatment of OAB as they relate to CYP2D6 metabolism. This review aims to provide clinicians with essential information necessary for making treatment decisions when managing OAB.

Increased Healthcare Resource Utilization and Direct and Indirect Costs in Patients with Depression and Comorbid Overactive Bladder: Evidence From a Retrospective, Matched Case-Control Cohort Analysis

Introduction

This study sought to compare healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), costs, and workplace productivity among patients with depression, with and without overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods

This retrospective, case–control cohort analysis compares HCRU, costs, and workplace productivity among propensity score matched patients with depression and OAB (case cohort) and patients with depression without OAB (control cohort). Patients were aged 18 years or older, insured/on Medicare, and had diagnosed depression and an antidepressant medication claim pre index. First OAB-related event was index for cases; controls were assigned a proxy (study period 12 months). Comparisons of HCRU and costs and regression models assessed the relationship between OAB and costs. For the workplace productivity subset analyses cases and controls were balanced on baseline covariates for the short-term disability analyses but as they were unbalanced for the absentee analyses, multivariate regression analyses were used for this subset.

Results

The study criteria were met by 39,085 cases and 308,736 controls, from which, 37,997 patients were successfully matched 1:1 (mean age 55 years; 81% female). Most depression-related HCRU measures were similar across cohorts; however, outpatient visits, ER visits, and number of unique depression medications were significantly higher (all p < 0.05) among cases. Cases also had 13% higher total depression-related costs (p < 0.0001). Total mean (standard deviation [SD]) depression-related costs were $1796 ($4235) for cases versus $1597 ($3863) for controls (p < 0.0001). For workplace productivity (absentee data: cases [n = 686], controls [n = 642]; short-term disability data: cases [n = 4395], controls [n = 4433]) absentee outcomes were similar across cohorts. However, a higher percentage of cases used short-term disability benefits compared to controls (21.3% versus 16.9%; p < 0.0001) and cases experienced more case days (11.0 versus 8.6 mean days) and received higher mean payments than controls ($1226 versus $1033; p < 0.0001) in this subset.

Conclusions

OAB was associated with 13% higher depression-related costs and 4.4% more cases used short-term disability benefits.

Electronic Supplementary Material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s12325-020-01485-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Higher Resource Utilization and Costs in Long-Term Nursing Home Residents With Overactive Bladder: A Retrospective Study of Medicare Beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES

To determine the all-cause health care resource utilization and costs among long-term nursing home (LTNH) residents with and without overactive bladder (OAB).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Minimum Data Set (MDS)-linked Medicare Part A, B, and D claims data from 2013 to 2015 were analyzed. LTNH residents aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of OAB (n = 216,731) were propensity score matched with LTNH residents without OAB (n = 300,327) (non-OAB cohort).

METHODS

We measured health care resource utilization and costs associated with OAB by setting (inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, or prescription) during the 6 months following nursing home admission. Descriptive and multivariate (negative binomial for health care resource utilization and 2-part model for costs) analyses were performed to examine the health care resource utilization and costs among LTNH residents with and without OAB. The annual cost attributed to OAB was calculated as the difference between total annual OAB costs and total annual non-OAB costs.

RESULTS

A total of 214,505 patients were included in each matched cohort. Across all health care resource categories, LTNH residents with OAB had higher health care resource utilization and costs compared to the non-OAB cohort (all P < .001). The mean annual direct total cost was $57,984 in the OAB cohort compared with $54,285 in the non-OAB cohort. The annual cost of OAB in nursing homes was estimated at $793 million. Adjusted analyses revealed that the OAB cohort was 9% more likely to have hospitalization and emergency department visits, 15% more likely to have outpatient visits, 27% more likely to have physician visits, and 12% more likely to have prescription counts compared with the non-OAB cohort.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The study findings suggest that LTNH residents with OAB have significantly more health care resource utilization compared with patients without OAB. These results provide health care decision makers with recent estimates of the burden of OAB in LTNH to assist them with resource planning.

[Knowledge, practices and expectations in the management of overactive bladder in general practice and gynecology in France]

INTRODUCTION

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical syndrome characterized by urgency to urinate, with or without urinary incontinence, often associated with nycturia and pollakiuria. The aim of this practice survey is to identify diagnostic modalities and treatment circuits according to the patient's clinical profile and to practitioner's specialty.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 262 physicians practicing in France: 181 general practitioners (GPs) and 81 gynecologists.

RESULTS

Urinary disorders were more easily addressed with patients by gynecologists than GPs. Behavioral therapy was the most widely used therapeutic measure, however half of the patients abandoned it. In oldest women and men of all ages, drugs were commonly prescribed, nevertheless only 4 out of 10 patients continued the treatment beyond 6months, according to the physicians. Incontinence was the symptom for which patients were in most need of relief. GPs and gynecologists expressed a need for training, practical tools and recommendations related to OAB.

CONCLUSION

Patients and doctors are reluctant to talk about urinary disorders. Non-urologist physicians such as GPs and gynecologists, as health professionals best placed to detect and diagnose OAB, are in demand for training, practical tools and recommendations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3.

Cost Effectiveness of Mirabegron Compared with Antimuscarinic Agents for the Treatment of Adults with Overactive Bladder in Colombia

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of mirabegron relative to two antimuscarinics, oxybutynin extended release (ER) and tolterodine ER, in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) from the perspective of a third-party payer in Colombia.

METHODS

A Markov model simulated the therapeutic management, disease course, and complications in hypothetical cohorts of OAB patients over a 5-year period. The model predicted costs and three outcomes: quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), micturition state improvement (MSI), and incontinence state improvement (ISI). In each 1-month cycle, patients could transition between different health states reflecting symptom severity. Transition probabilities were estimated from a published mirabegron trial and mixed treatment comparison. Other inputs such as treatment discontinuation based on treatment-specific rates of persistence, resource use and costs, anticholinergic burden, comorbidity treatment, and drug acquisition were obtained from Società Italiana Scienze Mediche, Instituto de Seguros Sociales Tariff Manual, published literature, and expert opinion. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. Costs are presented in 2017 Colombia Pesos (COP).

RESULTS

Mirabegron was cost effective for all outcome measures at a willingness-to-pay threshold of 124,919,725 COP, which is three times the per capita gross domestic product (GDP). Using QALYs as the measure of effect, mirabegron had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 85,802,036 COP/QALY (26,365 USD/QALY) and 66,360,134 COP/QALY (20,384 USD/QALY) versus oxybutynin and tolterodine, respectively. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that mirabegron was cost effective in 99.5% and 100% of simulations compared with oxybutynin and tolterodine, respectively. Using MSI and ISI as the measure of effects yielded ICERs below one GDP.

CONCLUSIONS

Mirabegron is a cost effective alternative to oxybutynin and tolterodine from the perspective of a third-party payer in Colombia.

Impact of Coexisting Overactive Bladder in Medicare Patients With Dementia on Clinical and Economic Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Patients with dementia commonly suffer from symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB); however, limited research exists on the clinical impact of coexisting OAB among patients with dementia. As such, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of OAB on clinical outcomes, health-care resource use, and associated costs among patients with dementia.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with dementia using 3861 matched pairs of patients with and without OAB. Analyses were based on administrative claims data from January 1, 2007, to September 30, 2015, and compared clinical outcomes, health services use, and associated costs.

RESULTS

Patients with dementia and OAB were more likely than those without OAB to have least one fall (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-1.68, P < .001), fracture (IRR: 1.23, 95% CI, 1.05-1.44, P = .008), combined fall/fracture (IRR: 1.25, 95% CI, 1.11-1.42, P < .001), or urinary tract infection (IRR: 2.75, 95% CI, 2.55-2.96, P < .001). Patients with dementia and OAB demonstrated greater utilization of all-cause encounter types compared to similar patients without coexisting OAB (P < .01). All-cause and dementia-related total health-care costs were approximately 23% (95% CI, 0.19-0.28, P < .001) and 13% (95% CI, 0.05-0.20, P = .001), respectively, greater than similar patients without coexisting OAB.

CONCLUSION

Coexisting OAB was associated with impacts on clinical outcomes, health-care resource utilization, and costs in patients with dementia.

Effects and safety of herbal medicines on patients with overactive bladder: A protocol for a systematic view and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common disease in the urinary system. The morbidity is increasing annually. Herbal medicines have been pervasively used in the therapy of OAB. However, systematic review or meta-analysis has not been found to assess the effects and safety of herbal medicines in curing OAB at present. Hence, the systematic review is conducted to scientifically and methodically evaluate the value of its effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines on OAB.

METHODS

We will collect all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines on OAB. The RCTs will be searched from the electronic databases, including 7 English databases, consisting of PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SpringerLink, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), and 4 Chinese databases, namely Wanfang Chinese database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), others valid search strategy will be adopted. All the RCTs will be assessed from the databases establishment to July 2019. We will perform the meta-analysis of RCTs when the dissertation is appropriate. We will conduct an assessment including data synthesis, bias risk, and subgroup analysis by means of Review Manager software (RevMan) V.5.3.5 software while the setting condition is met.

RESULTS

This systematic view and meta-analysis will generate a summary based on the current relevant research to calculate the effects and safety of herbal medicines in promoting the therapy of OAB. Furthermore, it will provide a high-quality synthesis for participants who use herbal medicine to cure OAB.

CONCLUSION

The summary of our systematic view will verify whether herbal medicines intervention could be an effective and safety approach in curing OAB.

Health and functional status, health events, use of healthcare services and costs associated with overactive bladder among the medically complex vulnerable elderly in the US

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) among medically complex vulnerable elderly (MCVE) patients in the United States and to compare health status measures, functional status, healthcare events, use of healthcare services and costs between MCVE patients with and without OAB.

METHODS

Using the 2001-2010 Medicare Current Beneficiary Surveys, we defined the MCVE as those respondents who were ≥65 years old with scores ≥3 on the Vulnerable Elders Survey-13. OAB diagnosis codes or self-reported use of antimuscarinic medications were used to identify MCVE individuals with OAB. Multiple regression analyses were used to estimate the adjusted relationship between OAB and the outcome measures.

RESULTS

The annual prevalence of OAB among the MCVE increased from 9.6% in 2001 to 13.5% in 2010. MCVE individuals with OAB were more likely to have experienced falls or fractures (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-2.0), urinary tract infections (OR = 4.3; 95% CI: 3.5-5.4), institutionalization (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4-2.5), limitations in activity of daily living (ADL) (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7) and instrumental ADL (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-2.0), hospital admission (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3-2.0) and emergency department admissions (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3-2.0) than those without OAB. MCVE individuals with OAB incurred, on average, $7188 (2013 dollars) more in healthcare costs than those without OAB.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of OAB in the MCVE population increased over time. OAB is associated with substantial clinical and economic burden. Further research is warranted to understand whether better management of the MCVE population with OAB may reduce healthcare resource use.

Association between cumulative anticholinergic burden and falls and fractures in patients with overactive bladder: US-based retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the association between cumulative anticholinergic burden and falls and fractures in patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

DESIGN

A retrospective claims-based study (2007-2015) of patients with OAB; outcomes from a subset were contrasted to a non-OAB comparison.

SETTING

United States, commercially and Medicare-insured population.

PARTICIPANTS

154 432 adults with OAB and 86 966 adults without OAB, mean age of 56 years, and 67.9% women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Cumulative anticholinergic burden, a unitless value representing exposure over time, was estimated over the 12 months pre-index ('at baseline') and every 6 months post index. Burden was categorised as no burden (0), low burden (1-89), medium burden (90-499) or high burden (500+). Unadjusted rates of falls or fractures were estimated, and the increased risk associated with anticholinergic burden (measured at the closest 6-month interval prior to a fall or fracture) was assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model and a marginal structural model.

RESULTS

Median (IQR) baseline anticholinergic burden was 30 (0.0-314.0) and higher among older (≥65 years, 183 [3.0-713.0]) versus younger (<65 years, 13 [0.0-200.0]) adults. The unadjusted rate of falls or fractures over the period was 5.0 per 100 patient-years, ranging from 3.1 (95% CI 3.0-3.2) for those with no burden, to 7.4 (95% CI 7.1-7.6) for those with high burden at baseline. The adjusted risk of falls and fractures was greater with higher anticholinergic burden in the previous 6 months, with an HR of 1.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 1.3) for low burden versus no burden, to 1.4 (95% CI 1.3 to 1.4) for high versus no burden. Estimates from marginal structural models adjusting for time-varying covariates were lower but remained significantly higher with a higher anticholinergic burden. Rates of falls and fractures were approximately 40% higher among those with OAB (vs those without).

CONCLUSION

Higher levels of anticholinergic burden are associated with higher rates of falls and fractures, highlighting the importance of considering anticholinergic burden when treating patients with OAB.

The Association Between Overactive Bladder and Falls and Fractures: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Urinary symptoms are associated with an increased risk of falls, but few studies have focused on patients with overactive bladder (OAB). This study aimed to synthesize estimates of the risk of falls and fractures in patients with OAB.

METHODS

Medline, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Scopus were systematically searched for observational studies that focused on patients with OAB. When available, data from a non-OAB comparison sample were included. Double independent review and data extraction were performed. Falls and fractures data were summarized by unadjusted and adjusted risks, and percent attributable risk (PAR) of falls and fractures associated with OAB.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies were included in the analyses. The proportion of patients with OAB experiencing at least one fall over a year ranged from 18.9% to 50.0%, and the proportion of patients with OAB experiencing recurrent or serious falls ranged from 10.2% to 56.0%. In studies that included a non-OAB comparison sample, a higher risk of falls was observed in patients with OAB compared to those without. A significantly increased (1.3- to 2.3-fold) adjusted OAB-associated risk of falls was reported, while unadjusted PARs for OAB associated falls ranged from 3.7% to 15.5%. Risk was higher among women and those 65 years of age or older. While analysis of fractures showed elevated point estimates, most studies were underpowered to detect a statistically significant difference between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence from the published literature clearly demonstrates the importance of OAB and its symptoms as risk factors for falls and fractures.

FUNDING

Astellas.

The economic burden of overactive bladder (OAB) and its effects on the costs associated with other chronic, age-related comorbidities in the United States

AIMS

The prevalence of OAB increases with age and is associated with several chronic comorbidities. However, the impact of OAB on the healthcare costs of patients with such comorbidities is not well-understood. This study aimed to quantify the impact of OAB on healthcare costs and assess the potential moderating effects of OAB on the costs of patients with chronic comorbidities.

METHODS

Adults with evidence of OAB/OAB-related therapy between 1/1/2008-12/31/2013 were identified from two large, administrative claims databases. Per-patient-per-month (PPPM) expenditures for OAB cases were estimated and compared to those of propensity score-matched subjects without OAB. Costs were modeled using ordinary least squares regression including main effects and interactions of chronic depression, dementia, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis with OAB. Values for the comparisons were calculated on the original dollar scale using smearing estimators.

RESULTS

A total of 110 059 pairs of OAB cases and matched non-OAB controls were identified. The mean, multivariable-adjusted, PPPM all-cause costs of OAB cases from the model without interactions were $3003, compared to $1123 for matched controls (P < 0.0001). In the model assessing the interactions of chronic comorbidities with OAB, those OAB patients with comorbid depression, dementia, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis incurred significantly higher costs than controls with these comorbidities. The synergistic effect of these interactions was estimated to be $95-$574 PPPM.

CONCLUSIONS

Within this US-based population, the healthcare costs of OAB patients were more than 2.5 times those of similar patients without OAB. Additionally, patients with OAB and chronic, age-related comorbidities incurred higher healthcare costs than non-OAB controls with the same comorbidities.

The association of lower urinary tract symptoms with incidental falls and fear of falling in later life: The Community Health Survey

AIM

To evaluate the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and incidental falls and fear of falling.

METHODS

We used data obtained from the 2011 Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS) conducted between August and October 2011 in South Korea. The survey was carried out to estimate patterns of disease prevalence and morbidity in men >40 years old. The trained interviewers performed face-to-face sociodemographic questionnaires using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) software, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the Quality of Life score (EQ-5D), and a questionnaire about past falls and fear of falling.

RESULTS

Data from 67 457 men were collected and analyzed. The subjects who had previously experienced a fall had slightly higher scores for IPSS, severity of LUTS, voiding LUTS, and storage LUTS than subjects with no prior fall history. A multivariate model of the relationship between falls and LUTS severity indicated that the relationship between the IPSS components and fall history was significant (mild, moderate, severe: OR = 1.00, 2.53, 3.91, respectively, P < 0.0001). A multivariate model of fear of falling and LUTS also showed a significant relationship between severity, voiding, and storage symptoms (severe IPSS: OR = 2.411, 95%CI: 2.2-2.642, P < 0.001; voiding symptoms: OR = 1.766, 95%CI: 1.681-1.856, P < 0.001; storage symptoms: OR = 1.705, 95%CI: 1.625-1.789, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study emphasizes the relationship between LUTS and falling. Furthermore, increased LUTS severity led to a higher risk of incidental falls. A high correlation between fear of falling and LUTS was also observed in this study.

Primary Nonadherence to Overactive Bladder Medications in an Integrated Managed Care Health Care System

BACKGROUND

Treatment for overactive bladder (OAB) remains suboptimal, in part because of patient nonadherence to medications. Primary nonadherence is when patients fail to pick up their initial prescriptions.

OBJECTIVE

To measure primary nonadherence to OAB medications within 30 days of a first OAB prescription order using electronic medical records from a U.S. managed care health care system METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) database to identify patients with new OAB prescriptions between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2013. The index date was defined as the first order of an OAB prescription. Patients had to be aged ≥ 18 years on the index date and were required to have 12 months of continuous membership with drug benefit eligibility before, during, and after the index date. Patients were defined as primary nonadherent if they did not pick up their new OAB prescriptions within 30 days of the order date. Descriptive statistics and a multivariable logistic regression analysis with backward selection were conducted to identify factors associated with patients who were primary nonadherent versus adherent.

RESULTS

There were 9,050 patients with a new OAB prescription order; 1,662 (18%) of these were primary nonadherent. Patients with primary nonadherence were younger in age (56.9 [SD ± 16.0] years vs. 63.9 [SD ± 14.8] years; P < 0.001) and more likely to have commercial insurance (65.9% vs. 46.2%; P < 0.001). They also had lower mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores (1.99 vs. 2.70; P < 0.001), fewer OAB-related comorbidities, fewer concomitant medications (P < 0.005), and fewer overall prescriptions dispensed in the previous 12 months (P < 0.001) compared with adherent patients. Significant factors such as commercial insurance (P = 0.013), race other than white (P = 0.020), CCI = 0 versus CCI ≥ 2 (P = 0.001), urinary tract infections (P < 0.001), and falls (P = 0.047) were associated with a higher likelihood of primary nonadherence versus adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly 1 in 5 patients did not pick up their new OAB medications within 30 days of the order date. Knowledge of factors associated with primary nonadherence may inform strategies for improving management of OAB.

DISCLOSURES

This study was supported by a research grant provided by Astellas Pharma Global Development. Rashid and Lin do not have any financial interests or potential conflict of interest with regard to the work. Vassilakis, Kristy, and Ng were employees of Astellas Pharma Global Development when this study was conducted. Study concept and design were contributed by Rashid and Ng, along with the other authors. Rashid and Lin collected the data, and data interpretation was performed by Rashid, Ng, and Lin, along with Vassilakis and Kristy. The manuscript was written by Rashid and Ng, along with Vassilakis and Lin, and revised by Rashid, Ng, and Lin.

Cost-effectiveness of mirabegron compared to tolterodine ER 4 mg for overactive bladder in Canada

INTRODUCTION

This analysis compared the cost-effectiveness of once-daily regimens of mirabegron 50 mg and generic tolterodine ER 4 mg in a hypothetical cohort of previously treated patients with overactive bladder (OAB) in Canada.

METHODS

A Markov model was developed to represent different health states according to OAB symptoms (frequency, incontinence), presence/absence of adverse events (AEs; dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision), and treatment status (on-treatment, discontinue treatment, restart previous treatment). The time horizon used was one year, with monthly transitions between health states. The model was populated using data from a phase 3, placebo-controlled trial of mirabegron that included tolterodine as an active comparator (SCORPIO), as well as other published literature and expert opinion. Cost-effectiveness was calculated from Canadian public payer (based on Quebec list prices) and societal perspectives.

RESULTS

The incremental one-year cost per patient for mirabegron over tolterodine was $182 CAD and $157 CAD from the payer and societal perspectives, respectively. The incremental quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gain for mirabegron was 0.0066 when using EQ-5D health-state utilities. Mirabegron was cost-effective compared with tolterodine, from both payer and societal perspectives, and remained cost-effective vs. tolterodine across the majority of sensitivity analyses. The model was based on limited clinical trial evidence supplemented with expert opinion and assumptions; a select number of OAB symptoms, AEs, and direct and indirect medical costs associated with OAB; and a timeframe of only one year.

CONCLUSIONS

From the payer and societal perspectives, the health economic model indicates that in Canada, mirabegron is a cost-effective treatment strategy compared with tolterodine, leading to improved health outcomes (QALYs) at an acceptable incremental cost.

Female Functional Constipation Is Associated with Overactive Bladder Symptoms and Urinary Incontinence

This noninterventional cross-sectional study aims to assess the association between functional constipation (FC) and urinary symptoms in female patients with no treatment for urination and defecation. The Rome III criteria for evaluation of defecation, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) for evaluation of urinary symptoms, and clinical features were investigated in 145 female patients. Latent FC and moderate to severe overactive bladder (OAB) were defined on the basis of positivity for two or more of the Rome III criteria and an OABSS ≥ 6 with OABSS Q3 ≥ 2, respectively. In 60 latent FC patients, the OABSS was higher (5.0 versus 3.2, p = 0.001), and concurrent moderate to severe OAB symptoms and OAB with urinary incontinence were more frequent than those in 85 nonlatent FC patients (33.3 versus 10.6%, p = 0.001, and 31.7 versus 7.1%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that moderate to severe OAB symptoms were a significant associated factor of latent FC (odds ratio (OR) = 4.125, p = 0.005), while latent FC was the only associated factor of moderate to severe OAB and OAB with urinary incontinence (OR = 4.227, p = 0.005 and OR = 4.753, p = 0.004). In conclusion, moderate to severe OAB symptoms are correlated with FC. Moreover, FC is related to moderate to severe OAB symptoms and to OAB with urinary incontinence.

Impact of Overactive Bladder Step Therapy Policies on Medication Utilization and Expenditures Among Treated Medicare Members

BACKGROUND

The impact of formulary management strategies on utilization and expenditures in overactive bladder (OAB) treatment has not been extensively investigated. In 2013, step therapy (ST) policies for 2 branded OAB treatments, mirabegron and fesoterodine, were removed from Humana Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans and Medicare prescription drug plans (PDP), allowing for an examination of the effect of ST policies on OAB medication use patterns and costs.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of removal of formulary restriction policies for mirabegron and fesoterodine on medication utilization patterns and costs associated with OAB treatment in Medicare patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study design was utilized. Subjects included individuals enrolled in Humana MAPD plans or PDPs, aged ≥ 65 years, with ≥ 1 prescription for an OAB medication in 2013. Patient demographic characteristics, OAB medication utilization, and pharmacy cost trends in 2013 were described. OAB medication use was calculated as the number of 30-day-supply equivalent medication claims and reported as a percentage of the total number of 30-day-supply equivalent claims across all OAB products. OAB medication expenditures were calculated as a percentage of the sum of pharmacy costs for OAB medications and reported separately for each month and drug during 2013. Temporal trends of OAB medication utilization and expenditures in 2013 were calculated using ordinary least squares regression.

RESULTS

Of 194,511 patients, trends in utilization of OAB medications indicated that on average, there was a statistically significant monthly increase in utilization of mirabegron (regression coefficient [B] = 274; P < 0.001; 95% CI: 218, 330), fesoterodine (B = 167; P < 0.001; 95% CI = 129, 205), oxybutynin extended release (ER; B = 357; P = 0.011; 95% CI = 99, 614), and trospium ER (B = 33; P = 0.001; 95% CI = 17, 50) and statistically significant decreases in utilization of solifenacin (B = -202; P = 0.048; 95% CI = -402, -2), tolterodine ER (B = -287; P = 0.002; 95% CI = -437, -137), darifenacin (B = -94; P < 0.001; 95% CI = -128, -61), and trospium immediate release (IR; B = -22; P = 0.001; 95% CI = -32, -12). Total OAB medication expenditures significantly increased an average of 0.12% for each month during the course of 2013 (B = 0.12; P = 0.026; 95% CI = 0.017, -0.223). While monthly oxybutynin IR utilization did not change significantly throughout 2013 (B = 228; P = 0.169; 95% CI = -114, -570), it demonstrated the largest average monthly expenditure increase (B = 0.082; P < 0.001; 95% CI = 0.056, 0.108). When removing oxybutynin IR costs from the total OAB medication costs, the trend in total OAB medication average monthly expenditures was not significant (B = 0.038; P = 0.365; 95% CI = -0.051, -0.126). An over 4-fold per-unit-cost increase for oxybutynin IR was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilization of 2 branded OAB products increased in the months after ST removal with minimal cost impact. One of the possible reasons total OAB expenditures increased may have been due to the increased cost of the largest-volume generic product, oxybutynin IR.

DISCLOSURES

This research was funded by Astellas Pharma Global Development and was conducted as part of the Astellas-Humana Research Collaboration. Ng, Kristy, Schermer, and Bradt are employees of Astellas. Astellas manufactures mirabegron (Myrbetriq) and solifenacin (VESIcare). Abbass, Caplan, Collins, and Suehs are employees of Comprehensive Health Insights, a subsidiary of Humana, which received funding from Astellas for this study. Suehs owns stock in Humana. Chan is an employee of Humana Pharmacy Solutions. Portions of this study were presented as a poster at Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2015; October 26-29, 2015; Orlando, Florida. Study concept and design were contributed by Ng, Chan, Suehs, and Abbass, along with Collins. Abbass took the lead in data collection, along with Collins and with assistance from Caplan, Chan, and Suehs. Data interpretation was provided by Kristy and Bradt, along with Abbass, Caplan, Ng, Suehs, Collins, and Chan. The manuscript was written primarily by Caplan, along with Schermer, Suehs, and Abbass, and revised by Caplan, Schermer, and Ng, along with the other authors.

Mirabegron for the treatment of overactive bladder: cost-effectiveness from US commercial health-plan and Medicare Advantage perspectives

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The first class of oral pharmacologic treatments for overactive bladder (OAB) are antimuscarinics that are associated with poor persistence, anticholinergic adverse events, and increased anticholinergic burden (ACB) with risk of cognitive impairment. Mirabegron, a β3-adrenoceptor agonist, is an oral treatment that does not contribute to ACB and has early evidence of improved persistence. The objective of the analysis was to assess the cost-effectiveness of mirabegron for OAB vs six antimuscarinics in the US.

METHODS

A Markov state-transition model assessed US commercial health-plan and Medicare Advantage perspectives over a 3-year time horizon in an OAB patient population. Transition probabilities between five micturition and five incontinence severity states were derived from a network meta-analysis of 44 trials of oral OAB treatments. Therapy beginning with an oral OAB agent could discontinue or switch to another oral agent and could be followed by tibial nerve stimulation, sacral neuromodulation, or onabotulinumtoxinA. The primary outcome was cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Utilities were mapped from incontinence and micturition frequencies as well as demographics. Based on analysis of data from a large healthcare system, elevated ACB was associated with increased healthcare utilization and probability of cognitive impairment.

RESULTS

From both commercial and Medicare Advantage perspectives, mirabegron was the most clinically effective treatment, while oxybutynin was the least expensive. Tolterodine immediate release (IR) was also on the cost-effectiveness frontier. The analysis estimated costs per QALY of $59,690 and $66,347 for mirabegron from commercial health plan and Medicare Advantage perspectives, respectively, compared to tolterodine IR. Other antimuscarinics were dominated.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis estimated that mirabegron is a cost-effective treatment for OAB from US commercial health plan and Medicare Advantage perspectives, due to fewer projected adverse events and comorbidities, and data suggesting better persistence.

Cost effectiveness analysis of fesoterodine compared to mirabegron in first-line therapy setting for overactive bladder with urge urinary incontinence, from the Spanish National Health System perspective

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of first-line treatment of Overactive Bladder (OAB) with fesoterodine relative to mirabegron, from the Spanish National Health System (NHS) perspective.

METHODS

A decision tree model was developed to represent a typical clinical process of 52-week of treatment for an OAB patient with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) initiating first-line therapy with fesoterodine 4mg, including optional titration to 8mg, vs.mirabegron 50mg. Efficacy data were obtained from a Bayesian indirect treatment meta-analysis. Patients with UUI of less than one episode/day were defined as treatment responder and persistence was assessed at weeks 4, 12 and 24. At week 12, non-responders discontinued treatment permanently. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated based on time spent in responder and non-responder states. OAB-related drug and medical care costs including physician visits, laboratory tests, incontinence pads, and comorbidities (fracture, skin infection, urinary tract infections and depression) were modeled and expressed in €2015.

RESULTS

At week 52, the percentage of responders was 20.8% for patients starting on fesoterodine 4mg who optionally titrated to 8mg and 19.4% for patients treated with mirabegron. QALYs were slightly higher with fesoterodine than mirabegron (0.7703vs. 0.7668, difference=0.0035). Fesoterodine treatment also had slightly higher total costs than mirabegron (3,296€vs. 3,217, difference=79€), resulting in a cost of 22,523/QALY€ gained for fesoterodine versus mirabegron. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed the slight advantage of fesoterodine with a 61.1% probability of being cost-effective at the 30,000€ willingness-to-pay for 1QALY threshold.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the relatively small 1-year cost difference between the two treatments, fesoterodine can be considered a cost-effective option relative to mirabegron for the first-line management of OAB with UUI in Spain.

Estimated Budget Impact of Increased Use of Mirabegron, A Novel Treatment for Overactive Bladder

BACKGROUND

Oral pharmacological treatment for overactive bladder (OAB) consists of antimuscarinics and the beta-3 adrenergic agonist mirabegron. Antimuscarinic adverse events (AEs) such as dry mouth, constipation, and blurry vision can result in frequent treatment discontinuation rates, leaving part of the OAB population untreated. Antimuscarinics also contribute to a patient's anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB), so the Beers Criteria recommends cautious use of antimuscarinics in elderly patients who take multiple anticholinergic medications or have cognitive impairment. Since mirabegron does not affect the cholinergic pathways, it is unlikely to contribute to a patient's ACB.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the health care costs associated with the pharmacological treatment of OAB with mirabegron and antimuscarinics from U.S. commercial payer and Medicare Advantage perspectives, using a budget impact model.

METHODS

For this budget impact model, 2 analyses were performed. The primary analysis estimated the budgetary impact of increasing the use of mirabegron in a closed patient cohort treated with oral pharmacological treatments. The secondary analysis modeled the economic impact in an open cohort by allowing untreated patients to begin treatment with mirabegron after potential contraindication, intolerance, or lack of effectiveness of antimuscarinics. The analyses were performed over a 3-year time horizon. The economic impact of increased mirabegron use was quantified using direct medical costs, including prescription costs and health resource utilization (HRU) costs. Costs of comorbidities included pharmacy and medical costs of treating OAB-related urinary tract infections (UTI), skin rashes, and depression. An analysis of a large single-site integrated health network database was commissioned to quantify ACB-related HRU in terms of the increases in yearly outpatient and emergency department visits. Based on this analysis, the model associated each unit increase in ACB score with increased HRU and probability of mild cognitive impairment. Clinical outcomes of increased use of mirabegron were presented as the number of AEs and comorbidity episodes that could be avoided. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed to quantify the expected budget impact over the range of uncertainty for the key input variables.

RESULTS

Primary analysis calculated the impact of increasing the use of mirabegron from 4.5% to 5.3%, 7.1%, and 9.4% in years 1, 2, and 3, respectively, among oral pharmacological OAB treatments that included generic and branded antimuscarinics: oxybutynin, tolterodine, trospium, darifenacin, fesoterodine, and solifenacin. For a 1 million-member U.S. commercial payer plan, the total prescription costs increased, and the total medical costs decreased during the 3-year time horizon, yielding increases of $0.005, $0.016, and $0.031 from current per member per month (PMPM) costs and $0.90, $2.92, and $5.53 from current per treated member per month (PTMPM) costs, an average of less than 2% of current OAB treatment costs. For the Medicare Advantage plan, the resulting incremental PMPM costs were $0.010, $0.034, and $0.065, and the incremental PTMPM costs were $0.93, $3.04, and $5.76; all were less than 4% of the current cost. The secondary analysis estimated the budgetary effects of reducing the untreated population by 1% annually by initiating treatment with mirabegron. For a commercial payer, this resulted in PMPM cost increases of $0.156, $0.311, and $0.467 from the current value, while the incremental PTMPM cost increased by $6.17, $11.67, and $16.61. For the Medicare Advantage plan, the incremental increases in PMPM costs were $0.277, $0.553, and $0.830, and in PTMPM costs were $6.42, $12.15, and $17.29. Clinically, treating more OAB patients resulted in fewer OAB-related comorbidities from both health plan perspectives, since most events associated with nontreatment could be avoided. In the Medicare Advantage population of the secondary analysis, the total numbers of avoided events were predicted as 452 UTIs, 2,598 depression diagnoses, and 3,020 skin rashes during the time horizon of the model.

CONCLUSIONS

Mirabegron addresses an unmet need for therapy for certain OAB patients, for whom antimuscarinics are not recommended because of a risk of cognitive impairment and who are intolerant to the anticholinergic AEs. Using mirabegron involves moderate additional economic cost to a commercial or Medicare Advantage health plan for which medical cost savings can offset a substantial part of increased pharmacy costs.

DISCLOSURES

Funding for this study was provided by Astellas. Perk, Wielage, T. Klein, and R. Klein are employed by Medical Decision Modeling, a contract research company that was paid to perform the described outcomes research and build the model contained in this study. Campbell and Perkins are employed by the Regenstrief Institute, which conducted a database analysis for this research. Campbell reports consultancy fees from Astellas, as well as pending grants from Merck, Sharpe, and Dohme Corp. Posta, Yuran, and Ng are employed by Astellas Pharma Global Development, the developer of mirabegron. Study concept and design were contributed by Perk, Wielage, R. Klein, and Ng. Campbell, T. Klein, and Perkins took the lead in data collection, assisted by Perk, Wielage, and Ng. Data interpretation was performed by Posta and Yuran, along with Perk, Wielage, R. Klein, Ng, Campbell, and Perkins. The manuscript was written by Perk and R. Klein, along with Wielage, T. Klein, Posta, Yuran, and Ng, and revised by all the authors.

Health Resource Utilization and Cost for Patients with Incontinent Overactive Bladder Treated with Anticholinergics

BACKGROUND

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common medical condition with significant economic and humanistic burden. Inadequately managed OAB may exacerbate or result in comorbidities such as depression, falls, and urinary tract infections, which can further increase the burden to the health care system. Anticholinergics are often prescribed for management of OAB with urinary incontinence ("wet" OAB). However, research has shown that patient adherence and persistence to anticholinergic therapy is poor, with approximately 80% of patients ultimately failing their first prescribed anticholinergic medication within the first year. While there has been a fair amount of research on the economic burden of OAB, the real-world impact of initiating anticholinergic therapy in patients with wet OAB has not been well studied.

OBJECTIVE

To compare falls/fractures, anxiety/depression, health care resource utilization, and health care costs between a cohort of patients with wet OAB who initiated anticholinergic therapy and a matched cohort of patients without OAB.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective medical and pharmacy claims analysis. Cases were members of a primary care-based, multispecialty physician medical group located in California. Cases were eligible for inclusion if they were prescribed anticholinergic therapy between January 2008 and May 2012 based on pharmacy claims, had a diagnosis of OAB, and reported having ≥ 1 urinary incontinence episode per day. Wet OAB cases were matched to non-OAB controls in a 1:3 ratio based on sex, age, and observation time. Medical and pharmacy claims data were used to analyze patient comorbidities, as well as track health care resource utilization (HRU) and direct payer costs.

RESULTS

After initiating anticholinergic therapy, wet OAB patients had a 46% higher adjusted risk of experiencing falls/fractures (P < 0.001) and a 33% higher adjusted risk of experiencing depression/anxiety (P = 0.022) than non-OAB patients. Wet OAB was significantly associated with increased HRU rates of hospital admissions, outpatient visits, prescriptions filled, and diagnostic tests performed. After adjustment for covariates, total health care cost was 33% higher for wet OAB patients than non-OAB patients, resulting in an increased cost of $1,746 per member per year.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this research suggest OAB patients who initiate anticholinergic therapy and still experience incontinence are at a greater risk for comorbidities such as falls/fractures and depression/anxiety, and use significantly more health care resources, than patients without OAB. Programs to improve patient monitoring and referrals, the appropriate use of alternative treatments within guidelines, and adherence to evidence-based practice parameters may improve clinical outcomes and decrease HRU for these patients.

DISCLOSURES

This study was sponsored by Allergan, Irvine, California, which reviewed and approved the final manuscript. At the time of the study, Yehoshua had received a fellowship at the University of Arizona, which was funded by Allergan. Yehoshua, Joshi, and Campbell are employees of Allergan. Vasaveda has received consulting fees from Allergan, Medtronic, and Boston Scientific. Chancelor has received consulting fees from Allergan and Medtronic. All authors met the ICMJE authorship criteria. Neither honoraria nor payments were made for authorship. Study design was created by Yehoshua, Pulicharam, Malone, and Armstrong. Pulicharam took the lead in data collection, along with Chancellor and Campbell, and data interpretation was performed by Chancellor, Vasavada, Malone, and Armstrong. The manuscript was written by Yehoshua and revised by Joshi and Yehoshua, with assistance from the other authors.

Impact of overactive bladder on quality of life and resource use: results from Korean Burden of Incontinence Study (KOBIS)

Background

To evaluate the impact of overactive bladder (OAB) on quality of life (QOL), resource use and productivity loss in patients recruited from six hospitals in Korea.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey recruited 625 OAB patients between July to December 2013. Patients were categorised into four groups based on the average number of urinary incontinence (UI) episodes over the past three days (0, 1, 2–3 and ≥4 UI/day). QOL was measured using the Incontinence-Specific Quality of Life Instrument (I-QOL), the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q), and a generic health-related utility instrument (EQ-5D). Information on hospital and clinic visit frequency, and continence pads use were also collected. Work productivity was assessed using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. Between group differences were assessed using ANOVA. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine the independent effects of OAB symptoms on QOL.

Results

Severity of UI showed a significant linear relationship with QOL, with clinically meaningful differences between each UI severity category. Compared to the dry category, patients in the most severe category (≥4 UI/day) had significantly lower I-QOL scores (69.8 vs 42.6; p < 0.0001), greater symptom bother on the OAB-q (30.4 vs 64.6; p < 0.0001), and poorer EQ-5D utility (0.848 vs 0.742; p < 0.001). Multivariable analyses showed that UI severity, frequency, urgency, and nocturia are independently associated with poorer QOL. Incontinence severity is also significantly associated with cost of incontinence pads (p < 0.0001), and a greater interference with work and regular activities (p = 0.001), however, no significant difference in hospital and clinic visits were observed.

Conclusion

Severity of UI is a key contributor to the disease burden of OAB in Korean patients, even after taking into account the impact of other symptoms associated with OAB.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-015-0274-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Chapter 1: The conditions of neurogenic detrusor overactivity and overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a symptom syndrome consisting of urinary urgency, usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), in the absence of a causative infection or pathological conditions. The prevalence of OAB is approximately 11-19% in both men and women, and leads to a significant negative effect on a patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL). OAB is also associated with comorbidities such as urinary tract infection (UTI) and an increased risk of falls. Following behavioral therapy, anticholinergic agents are commonly prescribed, but these often fail because of lack of efficacy and/or poor tolerability. Evaluation of treatment success in OAB should include pre-defined, patient-centered goals. Patients for whom oral therapy has failed to meet such goals may be considered refractory to oral therapy and candidates for minimally invasive therapy. Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) is a bladder dysfunction frequently observed in patients with conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI). Increased storage pressure can put the upper urinary tract at risk of deterioration and reducing this risk is a primary aim of therapy. Urinary incontinence (UI) is reported by approximately 50% of MS patients, and most SCI patients will develop some bladder dysfunction. NDO leads to a negative impact on HRQOL, independent of the impact of the primary condition. NDO patients in whom oral therapy has failed to normalize storage pressure may be considered refractory and are candidates for minimally invasive therapy.

Population-based survey on disease insight, quality of life, and health-seeking behavior associated with female urinary incontinence

Purpose:

To evaluate disease insight, personal distress, and healthcare-seeking behavior of women with urinary incontinence (UI) to improve women’s health in Korea.

Methods:

In October 2012, 500 Korean women residing around Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do were selected by random sampling for a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted by computer-aided telephone interview. Sixteen questions, which included information on demographic characteristics, information sources, disease insights, and general health-seeking behavior, were used for data collection.

Results:

Among the responders, 23.8% experienced UI, the prevalence of which increased with increasing age; 83.3% knew about UI through the mass media out of 98.2% apprehended people. Regarding general awareness of UI, 77.2% understood that UI is caused by aging. A total of 48.7% of subjects experienced societal restrictions because of UI. Most women in their 30s (25.6%) acquired UI information from the Internet, while those in their 50s and 60s (50–59 years, 51.1%; 60–64 years, 42.4%) learned about UI through friends. Among subjects who did not have UI, 89.37% intended to see a doctor or consult a professional if they developed UI (83.2%). Among those with UI, however, only 59.0% had talked about UI; 79.7% had talked with friends or associates, whereas only 23.2% had consulted a professional.

Conclusions:

Most respondents tended to obtain information on UI through the mass media. Subjects who did not have UI expressed their intention to consult a professional if they developed UI, while the percentage of subjects with UI who had consulted a professional was very low. Many women are ashamed of UI in Korea, which may be changed by providing efficient advertising with the right information and establishing a new perception of UI.

Effect of anticholinergics on the overactive bladder and bowel domain of the electronic personal assessment questionnaire (ePAQ)

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Evidence suggests that OAB (overactive bladder) can occur alongside disorders of the colon, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Moreover, patients with constipation are more likely to develop OAB symptoms than those without. Anticholinergic medications (AcH) are commonly used for treating OAB, and can result in the unwanted side effects of constipation. We aimed to study the relationship of AcH, and their effects on quality of life using the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire (ePAQ) by assessing changes in the bowel and bladder domains, pre- and post-AcH treatment.

METHODS

Ninety patients completed the ePAQ pre- and post-AcH treatment from January 2011 to April 2014. Data were collected retrospectively and prospectively, and analysed using a paired t test. Effect size (ES) was calculated for OAB and bowel domains to quantify the effect on QoL.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement in the OAB (p = 0.0005) and bowel domains (p = 0.0005). In the bowel domains, the largest effect size was seen for IBS (0.5) followed by continence (0.4), evacuation (0.375) and a small ES was seen for constipation (0.2). There was a reduction in the "degree of bother" in OAB and bowel domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients may benefit from the possible effects of AcH on their bowels, and assessment of all aspects of pelvic floor function is important before commencing AcH. This may help to counsel patients, with possibly improved compliance with therapy.

Direct and indirect cost of urge urinary incontinence with and without pharmacotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of treating urge urinary incontinence (UUI), including mixed urinary incontinence (MUI), on healthcare resource utilisation, productivity, activity impairment and associated costs.

METHODS

The study used data from the 2011 U.S. National Health and Wellness Survey, an Internet-based questionnaire of a nationwide sample of adults. UUI or MUI respondents were identified via three Incontinence Questions. Respondents with stress urinary incontinence only, prostate cancer or (medication for) benign prostatic hyperplasia were excluded. UUI/MUI respondents were categorised as Rx users for overactive bladder (OAB) and non-Rx users (who never used Rx and whose condition reportedly interfered with life activities or was difficult to manage). Outcome measures included healthcare utilisation and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire-based scores. Direct and indirect costs were estimated using 2010 labour and 2008 medical expenditure data sources. Generalised linear models predicted resource use and productivity as a function of treatment status, adjusting for covariates (e.g. sociodemographics, OAB severity, comorbid status) that may also predict impairment.

RESULTS

Rx (vs. non-Rx) users were more likely to be female (80.7% vs. 70.0%), older (mean = 62.7 vs. 53.1) and reporting more moderate-to-severe OAB (70.9% vs. 52.6%; all p < 0.05). Adjusting for covariates, Rx (vs. non-Rx) users had significantly lower activity impairment (41.1% vs. 46.8%), more provider visits (7.42 vs. 5.60) and costs ($18,175 vs. $13,679), and higher total direct costs ($27,291 vs. $21,493), all p < 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS

Urge urinary incontinence patients using, vs. never using, prescription medication reported lower activity impairment but higher direct costs. These findings may inform the degree to which UUI pharmacotherapy affects health outcomes.

Cost effectiveness of fesoterodine and tolterodine for the treatment of overactive bladder with urge urinary incontinence in Spain and Finland

BACKGROUND

Overactive bladder is a prevalent condition worldwide that is associated with a considerable burden, both on the patient and on society.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to assess the economic value of fesoterodine compared with tolterodine extended release (ER) for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) in Spain and Finland.

METHODS

A decision-tree economic model estimated the 52-week costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of OAB/UUI patients initiating treatment with fesoterodine 4 mg/day or tolterodine ER. Individuals were evaluated for treatment response (UUI fewer than one episode/day) and persistence at weeks 4, 12, and 24. Titration from fesoterodine 4 mg/day to 8 mg/day was permitted at week 4. At week 12, non-responders discontinued treatment permanently. Efficacy, discontinuation, and utility data were derived from four clinical trials of fesoterodine. OAB-related costs, including physician visits, laboratory tests, incontinence pads, and comorbidities (fracture, skin infection, urinary tract infections, depression, and nursing home) were also included.

RESULTS

A total of 19.5 % and 18.0 % of fesoterodine and tolterodine ER patients remained on treatment until week 52, respectively. QALYs were higher with fesoterodine than tolterodine ER (0.762 vs. 0.760). In Spain, fesoterodine treatment had higher total costs than (generic) tolterodine ER (€6,697 vs. 6,597), resulting in a cost of €15,633/QALY gained. In Finland, fesoterodine was cost saving relative to (non-generic) tolterodine ER (€7,885 vs. 8,024). Sensitivity analysis confirmed that these findings were robust to the expected price decrease for generic tolterodine ER in Finland.

CONCLUSION

Fesoterodine is cost effective or cost saving relative to tolterodine ER for the treatment of OAB with UUI in two European countries. Payers and prescribers should consider a broad scope of costs to make informed cost-conscious choices of antimuscarinic treatment.

Comorbidities and personal burden of urgency urinary incontinence: a systematic review

AIMS

Studies on the burden and comorbidities associated with urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) are difficult to compare, partly because of the evolution of definitions for lower urinary tract symptoms and the various instruments used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL). This article summarises published evidence on comorbidities and the personal burden associated specifically with UUI to provide clinicians with a clear perspective on the impact of UUI on patients.

METHODS

A PubMed search was conducted using the terms: (urgency urinary incontinence OR urge incontinence OR mixed incontinence OR overactive bladder) AND (burden OR quality of life OR well-being OR depression OR mental health OR sexual health OR comorbid), with limits for English-language articles published between 1991 and 2011.

RESULTS

Of 1364 identified articles, data from 70 retained articles indicate that UUI is a bothersome condition that has a marked negative impact on HRQL, with the severity of UUI a predictor of HRQL. UUI is significantly associated with falls in elderly individuals, depression, urinary tract infections, increased body mass index, diabetes and deaths. The burden of UUI appears to be greater than that of stress urinary incontinence or overactive bladder symptoms without UUI. UUI adversely impacts physical and mental health, sexual function and work productivity.

CONCLUSIONS

UUI is associated with numerous comorbid conditions and inflicts a substantial personal burden on many aspects of patients' lives. Healthcare providers should discuss UUI with patients and be aware of the impact of UUI and its associated comorbidities on patients' lives.

Systematic review of the relationship between bladder and bowel function: implications for patient management

BACKGROUND

The complex relationship between bladder and bowel function has implications for treating pelvic disorders. In this systematic review, we discuss the relationship between bladder and bowel function and its implications for managing coexisting constipation and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.

METHODS

Multiple PubMed searches of articles published in English from January 1990 through March 2011 were conducted using combinations of terms including bladder, bowel, crosstalk, lower urinary tract symptoms, OAB, incontinence, constipation, hypermotility, pathophysiology, prevalence, management and quality of life. Articles were selected for inclusion in the review based on their relevance to the topic.

RESULTS

Animal studies and clinical data support bladder-bowel cross-sensitization, or crosstalk. In the rat, convergent neurons in the bladder and bowel as well as some superficial and deeper lumbosacral spinal neurons receive afferent signals from both bladder and bowel. On a functional level, in animals and humans, bowel distention affects bladder activity and vice versa. Clinically, the bladder-bowel relationship is evident through the presence of urinary symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and bowel symptoms in patients with acute cystitis. Functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as constipation, can contribute to the development of lower urinary tract symptoms, including OAB symptoms, and treatment of OAB with antimuscarinics can worsen constipation, a common antimuscarinic adverse effect. The initial approach to treating coexisting constipation and OAB should be to relieve constipation, which may resolve urinary symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between bladder and bowel function should be considered when treating patients with urinary symptoms, bowel symptoms, or both.

Oxybutynin gel for the treatment of overactive bladder

INTRODUCTION

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition that has a profound impact on an individual's overall health and quality of life. Muscarinic receptor antagonists are the mainstay of oral pharmacotherapy for OAB. While all of the medications in this class are significantly more effective than placebo, they are also associated with more adverse events that may limit their overall use. Transdermal application of oxybutynin has been shown to avoid first-pass metabolism and, thus, may be associated with fewer antimuscarinic side effects.

AREAS COVERED

This paper reviews the pharmacology of transdermal oxybutynin gel and summarizes the available data regarding this product in the treatment of OAB. It also discusses the role of this product in the OAB treatment armamentarium.

EXPERT OPINION

Oxybutynin transdermal gel has been shown to have significant advantages over placebo, in terms of urgency incontinence episodes, urinary frequency and voided volume in a Phase III study. Application site effects were higher in the gel group, but the incidence of antimuscarinic side effects were lower than those seen with oral preparations. The lower incidence of skin side effects, as compared with the transdermal patch, may confer a theoretical advantage toward the gel product. While promising, unanswered questions remain regarding persistence with treatment after this mode of therapy, and head-to-head comparisons with other antimuscarinics are absent.

Do the urinary bladder and large bowel interact, in sickness or in health? ICI-RS 2011

Normal functioning of the urinary bladder and the distal gut is an essential part of daily physiological activity coordinated by the peripheral and central nervous systems. Pathological changes in one of these organs may induce the development of cross-organ sensitization in the pelvis and underlie clinical co-morbidity of genitourinary and GI dysfunctions. Experimental human and animal data suggest that the bladder and distal colon interact under both normal and pathological conditions, however, the directions of these interactions can change dramatically depending on the nature and duration of the applied stimuli. This review article aimed to summarize the clinical data on colon-bladder cross-reflexes in healthy individuals, as well as in patients with co-morbid disorders. It also discusses currently used animal models, experimental approaches, and suggested mechanisms of colon-bladder cross-talk. Additionally, it provides an overview of the potential pharmacological targets to develop treatment options for patients with co-morbid disorders. Presented work resulted from the discussion of colon/bladder interactions during "Think Tank 9" presentations at the International Consultation on Incontinence Research Society meeting held in Bristol, UK, 2011.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of anti-muscarinic agents for the treatment of overactive bladder

OBJECTIVE

To determine the cost-effectiveness of pharmacologic treatments for overactive bladder (OAB) in the US.

METHODS

A decision model was constructed based on studies of effectiveness, adverse consequences, co-morbid conditions, and medical costs for the treatment of OAB. Treatment success was defined as no incontinence episodes for 3-7 days or 3-7 consecutive dry days. Estimates of treatment success were obtained from clinical trials and included darifenacin, fesoterodine, oxybutynin immediate release (IR), oxybutynin extended release (ER), oxybutynin topical gel, oxybutynin transdermal patch, solifenacin, tolterodine IR, tolterodine ER, trospium IR, and trospium ER. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted using Monte Carlo simulation.

RESULTS

A total of 51 OAB studies were identified and 11 reported treatment success. Mean continence rates varied in the literature from 21.0% with trospium IR to 51.0% with solifenacin. The 95% CI for solifenacin's success rate was statistically higher than other regimens due to the higher continence rates from the clinical trials. Oxybutynin IR and oxybutynin ER were significantly less costly than other products. The product with the lowest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) relative to oxybutynin IR was solifenacin at $1338 (± 168) per additional continent patient. The cost-effectiveness acceptability curve indicated that oxybutynin IR was the most cost-effective regimen when willingness-to-pay values were less than $10,000 per additional continent patient. Solifenacin was most cost-effective at higher willingness-to-pay values.

CONCLUSION

There was broad overlap in effectiveness among the anti-muscarinic products, except solifenacin had a significantly higher continence rate. Oxybutynin IR and oxybutynin ER were significantly less costly than other anti-muscarinic regimens, and these two products have a useful role to play in the management of OAB. However, for patients unable to tolerate the lower cost products, formularies benefit from solifenacin among branded products since the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve demonstrated it was the product most likely to be cost-effective after oxybutynin IR.

Results availability from clinical research of female urinary incontinence

AIMS

To ascertain possible publication bias by examining the completeness and publication of studies on nonsurgical treatments for female urinary incontinence (UI).

METHODS

We analyzed information about studies from several trial registries through May 2010. We searched Medline using study registration identifiers to determine publication status, and compared percentages of completed and published studies by study and subject characteristics.

RESULTS

Among the 166 closed studies, we found 120 completed (73%), 12 terminated (7%), 3 withdrawn (2%), and 4 (2%) that provided no reasons for noncompletion. Only 17% of closed registered studies (28/166 studies) were published in peer-reviewed journals; publication that did occur was an average of 2.2 years after study completion. The proportion of studies published did not increase over time. Studies sponsored by industry were published less often than those funded by NIH (OR = 0.04; 95%CI: 0.004-0.38). Drug studies were published less often than studies of other interventions (OR = 0.22; 95%CI: 0.05-0.96). Of the 166 closed studies, 7 (4%) posted results on the ClinicalTrials.gov website. Of Phases III and IV trials, 7% and 3% posted results, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The absence of results from a substantial proportion of conducted studies suggests that treatment decisions for women with UI are based on selected rather than comprehensive evidence of benefits and harms. Regulatory policy for clinical research should guarantee availability of the outcomes for the public, clinicians, and policymakers.

A healthy bladder: a consensus statement

A panel of experts in urology, urogynecology, nursing, and behavioral therapy convened in 2010 to discuss the importance of a healthy bladder on overall health. They determined that a consensus statement was necessary to raise awareness among the general public, healthcare providers, payors, and policymakers, with the goals of minimizing the impact of poor bladder health and stimulating primary prevention of bladder conditions. In this statement, 'healthy' bladder function is described, as well as internal and external factors that influence bladder health. It is suggested that primary prevention strategies should be aimed at providing education regarding normal lower urinary tract structures and functioning to the public, including patients and healthcare providers. This education may promote the achievement of optimal bladder health by increasing healthy bladder habits and behaviors, awareness of risk factors, healthcare seeking, and clinician engagement and reducing stigma and other barriers to treatment. Promoting optimal bladder health may reduce the personal, societal and economic impact of bladder conditions, including anxiety and depression and costs associated with conditions or diseases and their treatment. While adopting healthy bladder habits and behaviors and behaviors may improve or maintain bladder health, it is important to recognize that certain symptoms may indicate the presence of conditions that require medical attention; many bladder conditions are treatable with a range of options for most bladder conditions. Lastly, the authors propose clinical directives based on persuasive and convergent research to improve and maintain bladder health. The authors hope that this statement will lead to promotion and achievement of optimal bladder health, which may improve overall health and help minimize the effects of bladder conditions on the public, healthcare professionals, educators, employers, and payors. The advisors are in consensus regarding the recommendations for improving and maintaining bladder health presented herein.

The surgical management of the refractory overactive bladder

The refractory overactive bladder is a clinically challenging entity to manage and affects millions of people worldwide. Current surgical treatment options include botulinum toxin type A, sacral neuromodulation, and bladder reconstruction surgery all of which require careful attention to the individual patients needs and circumstances. In our paper we present a detailed up-to-date review on all the above mentioned surgical techniques from current literature and briefly describe our units experience with sacral neuromodulation.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of antimuscarinics in the treatment of patients with overactive bladder in Spain: a decision-tree model

Background

Fesoterodine, a new once daily antimuscarinic, has proven to be an effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). To date, no analysis has evaluated the economic costs and benefits associated with fesoterodine, compared to antimuscarinics in Spain. The purpose of this analysis was to assess the economic value of OAB treatment with fesoterodine relative to extended release tolterodine and solifenacin, from the societal perspective.

Methods

The economic model was based on data from two 12-week, randomized, double-blind, and multicenter trials comparing fesoterodine and tolterodine extended released (ER). Treatment response rates for solifenacin were extracted from the published literature. Discontinuation and efficacy were based on the results of a 12-week multinational randomized clinical trial extrapolated to 52 weeks. Changes in health related quality of life were assessed with the King's Health Questionnaire, which was transformed into preference-based utility values. Medical costs included (expressed in € 2010) were antimuscarinics, physician visits, laboratory tests, incontinence pads and the costs of OAB-related comorbidities, fractures, skin infections, urinary tract infections, depression, and nursing home admissions associated with incontinence. Time lost from work was also considered. Univariate sensitivity analyses were also performed.

Results

At week 12, continents accounted for 50.6%, 40.6% and 47.2% of patients in the fesoterodine, tolterodine, and solifenacin groups, respectively. By week 52, the projected proportions of patients remaining on therapy were 33.1%, 26.5% and 30.8%, respectively. The projected quality- adjusted life years (QALY) gain (compared to baseline) over the 52-week simulation period were 0.01014, 0.00846 and 0.00957, respectively. The overall treatment cost was estimated at €1,937, €2,089 and €1,960 for fesoterodine, tolterodine and solifenacin, respectively. Therefore, treatment with fesoterodine resulted in similar overall costs and greater QALY gain than treatment with either tolterodine or solifenacin. Sensitivity analysis showed that these results were robust to all changes performed.

Conclusions

The results of this economic analysis suggest that fesoterodine is a cost-effective alternative to tolterodine and solifenacin for the treatment of patients with OAB in Spain. Fesoterodine provides additional health benefits while maintain a similar level of costs being a cost-effective treatment strategy from a societal perspective.

Anticholinergics for overactive bladder therapy: central nervous system effects

The mainstay of pharmacological treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) is anticholinergic therapy using muscarinic receptor antagonists (tertiary or quaternary amines). Muscarinic receptors in the brain play an important role in cognitive function, and there is growing awareness that antimuscarinic OAB drugs may have adverse central nervous system (CNS) effects, ranging from headache to cognitive impairment and episodes of psychosis. This review discusses the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of OAB antimuscarinics that affect their propensity to cause adverse CNS effects, as observed in phase III clinical trials and in specific investigations on cognitive function and sleep architecture. PubMed/MEDLINE was searched for "OAB" plus "muscarinic antagonists" or "anticholinergic drug." Additional relevant literature was identified by examining the reference lists of papers identified through the search. Preclinical and clinical trials in adults were assessed, focusing on the OAB antimuscarinics approved in the United States. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a key role in protecting the CNS, but it is penetrable. The lipophilic tertiary amines, particularly oxybutynin, are more likely to cross the BBB than the hydrophilic quaternary amine trospium chloride, for which there are very few reports of adverse CNS effects. In fact, in 2008 the US product labels for oral oxybutynin were modified to include the potential for anticholinergic CNS events and a warning to monitor patients for adverse CNS effects. Even modest cognitive impairment in the elderly may negatively affect independence; therefore, selection of an antimuscarinic OAB drug with reduced potential for CNS effects is advisable.

Update on the management of overactive bladder: patient considerations and adherence

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition that causes a profound impact on an individual’s overall health and quality of life. Muscarinic receptor antagonists are the mainstay of oral pharmacotherapy for OAB. Although all of the medications in this class are significantly more effective than placebo, they are also associated with more adverse events that may limit their overall use. Although newer preparations of these medications have sought to improve tolerability and efficacy through alternative routes of delivery and once-daily dosing, improved adherence to treatment and treatment persistence continue to be an ongoing challenge. An improved understanding of the factors involved in persistence of medical OAB therapy is imperative in efforts to optimize therapeutic benefits in this chronic and potentially morbid condition.