Lower urinary tract symptoms in women

To summarize recent population-based literature on the prevalence and consequences of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in women and describe our present knowledge regarding known risk factors.

The prevalence of urinary incontinence in women ranged from 5 to 69%, with most studies reporting a prevalence of any urinary incontinence in the range of 25-45%. In a longitudinal population study in which women were followed for 16 years, the overall prevalence of urinary incontinence increased from 15 to 28%, and the incidence rate of urinary incontinence was 21%, whereas the corresponding remission rate was 34%. Increasing evidence is now available regarding a genetic component in the cause of stress urinary incontinence. The reported prevalence of OAB in women varied between 7.7 and 31.3%, and in general, prevalence rates increased with age. In a longitudinal study, the prevalence of OAB, nocturia and daytime micturition frequency of eight or more times per day increased by 9, 20 and 3%, respectively, in a cohort of women followed from 1991 to 2007. The incidence of OAB was 20%, and the corresponding remission rate was 43%.

Urinary incontinence and OAB are highly prevalent conditions. The cost of illness for urinary incontinence and OAB is a substantial economic and human burden and is likely to increase further in the future, highlighting the need for effective forms of management.