Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common condition in middle-aged and older women. It has been reported to be potentially linked to cognitive decline, particularly in older adults. This study investigated the association between OAB symptoms and cognitive impairment in middle-aged women.
This cross-sectional study had a sample of 1652 women (mean age 49.3 ± 2.8 years) who were not taking medication for either urinary tract infection or OAB. OAB symptoms and cognitive function were evaluated by self-administered questionnaires: the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score and the Alzheimer's disease 8. Logistic regression models estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for cognitive impairment according to the presence/absence of OAB. Mediation analyses assessed the impact of poor sleep quality on this association.
Cognitive impairment was more prevalent in women with OAB than in those without OAB (multivariable-adjusted PR: 1.88 [95 % CI: 1.52-2.24]). Women experiencing nocturia (≥twice a night), urinary urgency at least once a week, and urgency urinary incontinence at least once a week had multivariable-adjusted PRs (95 % CI) for cognitive impairment of 2.08 (1.50-2.65), 2.12 (1.66-2.58), and 1.75 (1.17-2.34), respectively. Poor sleep quality mediated 10.81 % [95 % CI: 4.55-19.44 %] of the relationship between OAB and cognitive impairment.
Among middle-aged women not taking OAB medications, OAB symptoms were associated with cognitive impairment, partly because of poor sleep quality. Further research is needed to determine whether early screening of patients with OAB can help identify those susceptible to cognitive impairment associated with OAB medication and if preventive measures should be targeted at this group.
Maturitas. 2024 Jun 10 [Epub ahead of print]
Jungeun Park, Yoosoo Chang, Hye Rin Choi, Jae Heon Kim, Sang Won Seo, Hui Jin Ryu, Yoosun Cho, Chanmin Kim, Ria Kwon, Ga-Young Lim, Jiin Ahn, Kye-Hyun Kim, Hoon Kim, Yun Soo Hong, Di Zhao, Juhee Cho, Eliseo Guallar, Hyun-Young Park, Seungho Ryu
Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Medical Research, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea., Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ., Institute of Medical Research, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea; Healthcare Data Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Urology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Health Science and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Neurology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Statistics, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea., Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine and Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA., Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine and Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Clinical Research Design & Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea., National Institute of Health, Cheongju, Republic of Korea., Center for Cohort Studies, Total Healthcare Center, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: .