Prevalence, Bother and Treatment Behavior Related to Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Overactive Bladder among Cardiology Patients

Association between life's essential 8 and overactive bladder

Limited research has explored the relationship between overactive bladder (OAB) and cardiovascular health (CVH). We aim to examine the correlation between OAB and CVH in American adults, utilizing the Life's Essential 8 (LE8). We included 70,190 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning from 2005 to 2018. In our study, the independent variable is LE8 score, where higher scores denote better CVH. The dependent variable is the presence of OAB. We employed multivariable logistic regression along with restricted cubic splines to evaluate the association between LE8 and OAB. Additionally, we performed interaction analyzes on subgroups to validate the findings. There is a significant negative correlation between LE8 scores and OAB. Upon adjusting for all covariates, a 10-point increase in LE8 total score correlated with a 17% decrease in the odds of OAB [0.83 (95% CI 0.78, 0.89)]. Compared to participants with lower LE8 scores, those with higher LE8 scores had a 46% lower probability of developing OAB. Consistent results were also observed in the association between scores of four health behaviors and four health factors and OAB. Furthermore, a notable interaction was observed between LE8 scores and smoking status. This study showed a significant negative correlation between LE8 scores and OAB prevalence.

Treatment patterns for lower urinary tract symptoms and overactive bladder in an Eastern European country: a nationwide population-representative survey

Introduction

The aim of this study was to establish at the population level the treatment patterns for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and overactive bladder (OAB) in Poland.

Material and methods

We used data from LUTS POLAND, a survey representative of the entire Polish population classified by age, sex, and place of residence. The treatment patterns we considered were lifestyle changes, physiotherapy, non-prescription drugs, prescription drugs, and surgical treatment.

Results

We obtained 6,005 completed interviews. About one-third of respondents who reported LUTS or OAB were seeking treatment, and many of these persons received treatment. Men were more proactive in seeking treatment than women, and men more often received treatment. Management with prescription drugs was the most common treatment modality of LUTS and OAB respondents. There were some disparities in distribution of other treatment options between LUTS and OAB persons, but, disappointingly, non-invasive and low-cost management strategies were rarely reported as being used. Specialists (mainly urologists) provided most of the treatments. We did not identify differences between urban and rural areas in treatment seeking, treatment receiving, and the treatment methods that were used.

Conclusions

In Poland, the scale was low for seeking treatment for LUTS and OAB. As well, there was little reliance on non-invasive and low-cost management strategies for LUTS and OAB. Our findings underline the need for education of patients and physicians about LUTS and OAB, and for greater healthcare and financial resources for LUTS and OAB patients.

Polish versions of the ICIQ-FLUTS and the ICIQ-FLUTS LF: translation, adaptation, and validation of female-specific instruments for evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Previously, there was no specific questionnaire in the Polish language for overall assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women. The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and validate Polish versions of the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire on Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS and ICIQ-FLUTS LF, short and long forms) for use in clinical practice and research in Poland.

METHODS

The original English ICIQ-FLUTS and ICIQ-FLUTS LF were adapted to Polish according to international standards and recommended procedures. Adult women with LUTS who were seen at the Department of Urology at the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, completed the ICIQ-FLUTS and ICIQ-FLUTS LF at baseline and 2 weeks later. Control participants completed the questionnaires once. Validity and reliability were determined.

RESULTS

One hundred and eighty Polish-speaking women who had LUTS completed the questionnaires. Content validity was high. Significant differences between women with LUTS and controls for both ICIQ-FLUTS and ICIQ-FLUTS LF confirmed optimal construct validity. An intercorrelation analysis revealed that internal consistency was good for ICIQ-FLUTS and ICIQ-FLUTS LF (Cronbach's alpha >0.7). Test-retest reliability (reproducibility) demonstrated strong stability (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.7). Floor and ceiling effects were absent from women with LUTS, whereas a floor effect was detected in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The Polish ICIQ-FLUTS and ICIQ-FLUTS LF are valid, reliable, and consistent measures of overall evaluation of LUTS in women. They are equivalent to the original English versions, and they retained the psychometric properties of the original questionnaires.