ABSTRACT
We investigated the prevalence of, and factors in, urinary incontinence among the people of middle to advanced age, using a yes/no questionnaire. The total number of respondents was 4, 020 (1, 520 males and 2, 500 females). Seventy-five percent of them were over 65 years old (median age: 67 years). The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 14% for the males and 30% for the females. The data were analyzed by standard statistical tests, such as χ<SUP>2</SUP> tests. The factors closely associated with urinary incontinence were aging, the high urinary frequency in a day, a history of cerebrovascular accidents, difficulty of urination in the males and UTI in the females. Urinary incontinence of the urge type account for 64% of the males and that of the stress type 81% of the females. Fifteen percent of the males and 6% of the females had consulted with physicians or urologists about urinary incontinence. These percentages were lower than those in European countries. However, we suspect that there may be much more latent patients who suffer from urinary incontinence in their daily community life.
ABSTRACT
In Chronic cases of hemiplegia following cerebrovascular disorders, it has been commonly accepted that the skin temperature on the affected side is lower than that of the normal side.<br>However, there has been no report regarding changes of the skin temperture before and after a long-term rehabilitation.<br>In this study, skin temperature of the lower legs before and after a long-term rehabilitation was measured in 21 normal subjects and in 53 patients with hemiplegia lasting over a month from the onset of cerebrovascular disorders.<br>Although the skin temperture of the lower legs in 21 normal subjects showed almost no difference between the two legs, that of hemiplegic patients was lower on the affected side and it was extremely lower in patinets with moderate or advanced hemiplegia. In the hemiplegic patients with moderate or advanced muscle atrophy on the affected side, the drop of skin temperature on that side was larger than that of the patients with no or sligit muscle atrophy.<br>In the hemiplegic patients who showed a moderate or marked improvement of the walking ability after rehabilitatlon, the skin temperature on both legs had been considerably lower than that of the patients who showed no or slight improvement of the walking ability before the rehabilitation. However it increased remarkably after the rehabilitation so that there was no significant differences of the skin temperature between the two groups of patients.