Prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence in Khon Kaen menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence in menopausal women. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective Descriptive study. SETTING: Menopausal clinic and gynecological outpatient unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Khon Kaen University. STUDY POPULATION: Menopausal women attending the menopausal clinic and gynecological outpatient unit. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between April 23 and July 15, 2004, 229 menopausal women were interviewed by pre-validated questionnaire and in-depth interview to determine the prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence. RESULTS: The average age of the study group was 55.8 years. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 38.86%, the most common type was mixed urinary incontinence (82.02%) followed by stress urinary incontinence (12.36%), and urge urinary incontinence (5.62%). The risk factors of urinary incontinence were vaginal delivery, menopause before 50 years old, and postmenopausal women who had never used hormone therapy. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of urinary incontinence in menopausal women was 38.86%. Mixed urinary incontinence was the most common type. Associated risk factors were vaginal delivery, menopause before 50 years old, and postmenopausal women who had never used hormone therapy.

Effect of hormone therapy on lipid profile in menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To study lipid profile of menopausal women with hormone therapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Two hundred and sixty eight menopausal women in good health conditions, separated into natural and surgical menopause group, received service at Menopausal clinic in Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University since 1996-2004. They regularly took a single type of hormone therapy for about 12 months and obtained blood cholesterol levels for pre- and post-hormone therapy of about 12 months period. The data were analyzed with SPSS v. 10.0.5. RESULTS: The average age of the sample groups were 50.91 +/- 5.93 years and 52.83 +/- 5.28 respectively. Both sample groups have similar mean level of cholesterol levels during pretreatment period. Surgical menopausal group has greater HDL level than the naturally menopausal group with the average level of 64.24 +/- 15.32 mg/ dl. and 58.80 +/- 17.20 mg/dl. respectively. However after taking hormone therapy, blood cholesterol level was significantly changed in both groups. The mean level of LDL decreased (8.59% and 11.49% respectively) and mean level of HDL increased (15.43% and 6.89% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Hormone therapy in menopausal women can improve cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL and increasing HDL with statistical significance (p < 0.05).