A metabolic-inflammatory phenotype of pelvic floor dysfunction: A machine learning-based cross-sectional study in a...

ObjectiveTo analyze pelvic floor dysfunction heterogeneity by identifying distinct clinical subtypes using unsupervised machine learning in a nationally representative cohort.MethodsThis cross-sectional study analyzed 7291 women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2005-2012). K-means clustering was applied to pelvic floor dysfunction-positive women to identify latent subtypes based on physiological features. Supervised machine learning models were subsequently developed to predict subtype membership, with SHapley Additive exPlanation analysis used to identify key predictors.ResultsTwo distinct subtypes emerged. Phenotype 1 ("metabolic-inflammatory") was characterized by severe central obesity (mean body mass index, 36.1 kg/m²), diabetes, and hypertension. Conversely, Phenotype 2 ("metabolically-healthy") revealed pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms but maintained a healthy metabolic profile indistinguishable from the controls. A neural network model accurately differentiated these groups (area under the curve = 0.848), identifying waist circumference as the primary predictive factor.ConclusionsPelvic floor dysfunction is not a single disorder but includes a distinct "metabolic-inflammatory" phenotype strongly associated with systemic metabolic disease. This data-driven classification challenges traditional paradigms, suggesting "subtype-specific" strategies for precision management.