Overactive bladder in patients with myasthenia gravis-A cross-sectional population-based study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Urology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Myasthenia gravis (MG) is often treated with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
• These medications can cause autonomic adverse effects.
• The impact of MG on bladder function is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms in MG patients compared to healthy controls.
• To assess the relationship between MG severity and OAB symptoms.
• To evaluate the effect of pyridostigmine dosage on OAB symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-three MG patients and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled.
• The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder Module (ICIQ-OAB) was used to assess OAB symptoms.
• Clinical severity of MG was evaluated using standardized clinical assessments.

Main Results:

• MG patients reported significantly higher total OAB scores and bother scores than controls.
• Higher scores were observed across all four OAB symptom categories (polyuria, nocturia, urgency, stress incontinence).
• Patients on higher daily doses of pyridostigmine (>300 mg) exhibited increased OAB scores.

Conclusions:

• Myasthenia gravis patients suffer from more bothersome overactive bladder symptoms compared to the general population.
• Pyridostigmine dosage is associated with the severity of OAB symptoms in MG patients.
• Optimizing pyridostigmine dosage to the lowest effective level is recommended to mitigate OAB-related adverse effects.