Do women with overactive bladder have realistic expectations for therapy?

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Women's Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Overactive bladder (OAB) significantly impacts women's quality of life (QoL).
• Understanding patient expectations is crucial for effective OAB management.
• Treatment acceptability and adverse events influence therapeutic adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define women's perception of 'cure' for overactive bladder (OAB).
• To assess the acceptability of OAB treatments and their adverse events.
• To evaluate the impact of OAB treatment on quality of life (QoL) and correlate it with patient expectations.

Main Methods:

• 153 women with predominant OAB symptoms participated.
• Quality of life (QoL) and expectations were assessed using the KHQ and a novel questionnaire.
• Pearson's correlation and ANOVA were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Conservative measures and lifestyle modifications were generally acceptable.
• Urge incontinence, coital incontinence, constant pad use, and medication were unpopular.
• 65% expected complete cessation of leakage; older women were less tolerant of side effects like constipation and dry mouth. Significant differences in QoL scores were observed based on cure expectations (p=0.049).

Conclusions:

• Most women hold realistic expectations for OAB treatment and tolerate minor symptoms.
• The unpopularity of regular antimuscarinics may contribute to low treatment persistence.
• Aligning treatment goals with patient expectations is key for improving OAB management and QoL.