Incontinence Not Always Progressive

Urinary incontinence in women is not necessarily progressive, but rather it is a dynamic process, Austrian researchers have concluded.

They studied data from 441 Vienna-area women aged 20-84 years who responded to survey questionnaires in 1998 or 1999 and again in 2005. The mean follow-up was 6.5 years, during which the overall prevalence of urinary incontinence rose from 32% to 43%, the investigators reported in European Urology (2006;50:327-332).

The mean annual cumulative incidence was 3.9%, but it ranged from 2.3% in women aged 20-39 years and 7.3% in those aged 70 and older. The mean annual full remission rate was 2.9%, with no clear age dependency. Additionally, 55.6% of women with a full remission had only a mild form of urinary incontinence at baseline.

From the October 01, 2006 Issue of Renal and Urology News