Urinary Tract Infection in Postmenopausal Women

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in postmenopausal women; the estimated incidence ranges from 4% to 15%. The clinical presentation of UTI is somewhat different in postmenopausal older women than it is in younger women: postmenopausal women are less likely to report frequency, dysuria, hematuria, and fever, but are more likely to report flank pain. Other than UTI history, risk factors for symptomatic UTI among postmenopausal women are poorly described. Hormonal replacement therapy minimizes physiologic changes associated with menopause that lead to genitourinary symptoms and, potentially, to UTI, but whether this therapy is appropriate for the prevention of recurrent UTI in postmenopausal women is uncertain.