Vitamin D and incident urinary incontinence in older adults.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine whether vitamin D status is associated with incident urinary incontinence (UI) among community-dwelling older adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging is a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling Medicare enrollees. Standardized assessment of UI was conducted using the validated Incontinence Severity Index. The analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels was performed on stored baseline sera. UI was assessed every 6-12 months for up to 42 months. The analyses included multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Of 350 participants (175 male, 147 black, mean age 73.6±5.8), 54% (189/350) were vitamin D deficient (25(OH)D <20 ng/ml) and 25% (87/350) were vitamin D insufficient (25(OH)D: 20 ng/ml to <30 ng/ml). Among the 187 subjects with no UI at baseline, 57% (107/187) were vitamin D deficient and 24% (45/187) were vitamin D insufficient. A total of 175 of the 187 subjects had follow-up evaluation for incident UI over 42 months, and incident UI occurred in 37% (65/175). After adjustment, cumulative incident UI at 42 months was associated with baseline vitamin D insufficiency (P=0.03) and demonstrated a trend association with deficiency (P=0.07). There was no association between baseline vitamin D status and the time to incident UI. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results support an association between vitamin D and incident UI in community-dwelling older adults. Future studies may target specific at-risk groups, such as men with BPH or women with pelvic floor disorders for evaluation of the impact of vitamin D supplementation on urinary symptoms.

Self-rated sleep characteristics and bother from nocturia.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate if men with varying degrees of bother from a similar number of nocturia episodes differ with respect to self-rated sleep characteristics and fatigue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As part of the baseline assessments during a nocturia treatment trial, 55 participants reported frequency and bother of nocturia using the AUA Symptom Inventory and completed 7-day sleep diaries prior to treatment. Participants who reported moderate nocturia (either two or three episodes nightly) were further grouped into categories of LOW (nocturia is no problem or a very small problem) or HIGH bother (nocturia is a big problem). Information from the participant completed sleep diaries was abstracted, including information on daytime napping, total sleep time, mean time needed to return to sleep, nighttime ratings of fatigue, and daytime ratings of fatigue. RESULTS: Of the 55 individuals who completed the pilot study, 24 study participants reported two or three episodes of nocturia and had either HIGH (n = 11) or LOW (n = 13) bother. Participants categorised with HIGH bother were significantly more likely than those with LOW bother to report difficulty initiating sleep (47.7 ± 34.4 vs. 23.5 ± 13.6 min, p = 0.05), difficulty returning to sleep after an awakening (28.9 ± 16.1 vs. 15.4 ± 9.6 min, p = 0.03) and greater morning fatigue (3.3 ± 0.7 vs. 2.5 ± 1.0, p = 0.04 on a 7-point scale). CONCLUSIONS: Since bother related to nocturia is linked to sleep quality, interventions targeting fatigue and sleep maintenance may provide useful targets in the management of nocturia in men.

Behavioral therapy to treat urinary incontinence in Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of exercise-based behavioral therapy to treat urinary incontinence (UI) in older adults with Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS: Participants with PD ≥50 years with ≥4 UI episodes on a 7-day bladder diary were recruited from movement disorders clinics. In 5 visits over 8 weeks, participants learned pelvic floor muscle exercises using computer-assisted EMG biofeedback, and bladder control strategies including urge suppression. Bladder diaries were used to reinforce techniques and monitor the primary outcome of UI frequency. Secondary outcomes included additional reporting of lower urinary tract symptoms, symptom bother, and quality of life (QOL) using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for overactive bladder (ICIQ-OAB). RESULTS: Twenty participants were enrolled (90% male, age 66.5 ± 6.2 [mean ± SD], with PD for 6.9 ± 5.4 years) and 17 completed the study. The median (interquartile range) weekly frequency of baseline UI episodes was 9 (4-11) and following intervention was 1 (0-3), representing an 83.3% reduction (45.5-100.0, p = 0.0001). QOL scores on the ICIQ-OAB improved from 71.1 ± 23.9 to 54.7 ± 15.4 (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In this uncontrolled pilot study of an exercise-based, biofeedback-assisted behavioral intervention, older participants with PD demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in frequency of UI and improvement in QOL. Randomized controlled trials to assess behavioral therapies for UI in patients with PD are warranted. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class IV evidence that exercise-based, biofeedback-assisted behavioral intervention can reduce UI frequency in patients >50 years old with PD.

The association of nocturia with incident falls in an elderly community-dwelling cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association of nocturia with incident falls in a population-based sample of community-dwelling elderly persons. METHODS: The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging is a prospective cohort study of 1000 community-dwelling older adults in the USA designed to examine factors associated with impaired mobility. Subjects were recruited from a stratified, random sample of Medicare beneficiaries to include equal numbers of black women, black men, white women and white men. Nocturia was assessed at baseline and falls were assessed at baseline and every 6 months for a total of 36 months of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 692 individuals (mean age 74.5 +/- 6.2, 48% female, 52% black) did not fall in the 12 months prior to baseline. Of these 692, 214 (30.9%) reported falling at least once during the subsequent 3 years. In unadjusted analysis, three or more nightly episodes of nocturia were associated with an incident fall [RR = 1.27, 95% CI (1.01-1.60)]. After multivariable logistic regression, three or more episodes of nocturia were associated with an increased risk of falling [RR = 1.28, (1.02-1.59)]. DISCUSSION: In a racially diverse, community-based sample of older men and women who had not fallen in the previous year, nocturia three or more times a night was associated in multivariable analysis with a 28% increased risk of an incident fall within 3 years. While this study has several advantages over previous reports (longitudinal follow-up, performance-based measures of function, population-based sampling), causality cannot be ascertained. Further research is needed to ascertain the impact of treatments to reduce nocturia as part of a multi-component programme to reduce fall risk.