Weight loss to treat urinary incontinence in women
Urinary incontinence in women is common, affects quality of life and is expensive in terms of health-care costs. The condition is associated with obesity, and there is evidence that among grossly overweight women, weight loss may encourage urinary continence. Now a two-centre trial in the United States has confirmed the benefit.
A total of 338 overweight and obese women (BMI 25–50) aged at least 30 and with urinary incontinence at least 10 times a week were randomized (2:1) to a 6-month weight loss programme (intervention) or a more general structured-education programme (controls). Mean weight loss was 8% (7.8 kg) in the intervention group and 1.6% (1.5 kg) in the control group, a highly significant difference. At 6 months, the reduction in weekly number of episodes of incontinence was 47% versus 28%. The reduction was in stress incontinence rather than urge incontinence. Significantly more women in the intervention group, however, had clinically relevant reductions of at least 70% in all incontinence, stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Among overweight and obese women, weight loss is an effective way of treating urinary incontinence.
Subak LL, et al. Weight loss to treat urinary incontinence in overweight and obese women. NEJM 2009;360:481–490.