To evaluate the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) and its association with frailty among men aged 80 years and older in Taiwan METHODS: Residents living in four veterans retirement communities were invited for study and 440 men aged 80 years and older weer enrolled. Comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed for them, including using the following measurements: Clinical Frailty Scale, Northern Health and Social Care Trust (HSC)-Continence Assessment Form, Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI), Barthel Index (BI), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale-5 (GDS-5), Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF).
Among them, the prevalence of UI was 19.1% (mostly urge incontinence and functional incontinence). Frailty was more common among subjects with UI than those without (60.7% vs 32.3%, p<0.001). Besides, subjects with UI had more comorbidity (CCI: 1.40±1.15 vs 0.89±0.89, p<0.001), poorer physical function (BI: 65.77±33.39 vs 84.12±24.08, P<0.001; IADL: 3.46±2.64 vs 4.41±2.25, P=0.003), more depressive symptoms (GDS-5: 1.83±1.78 vs 1.18±1.36, P=0.02), poorer cognitive function (MMSE: 16.57±7.65 vs 19.37±6.82, P=0.001), poorer nutritional status (MNA-SF: 10.00±3.03 vs 11.23±2.24, P=0.001), more polypharmacy (66.7% vs 45.2%, P<0.001) and higher chance of stool incontinence (22.6% vs 1.7%, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that UI was independently associated with frailty, (OR=2.1; 95% CI 1.2-3.6; P = 0.012), stool incontinence (OR=14.4; 95% CI 5.2-39.7; P <0.001) and depressive symptoms (OR=1.30; 95% CI 1.10-1.54; P = 0.002).
About one fifth of study subjects had UI (mostly urge and functional type), which was significantly associated with frailty, stool incontinence and depressive symptoms. Further study is needed to evaluate the possibilities of reversing these geriatric syndromes by an integrated intervention program.
Rejuvenation research. 2016 Sep 21 [Epub ahead of print]
Chih-Jen Wang, Cheng-Hao Hung, Ting-Ching Tang, Liang-Yu Chen, Li-Ning Peng, Fei-Yuan Hsiao, Liang-Kung Chen
Changhua Christian Hospital, 36596, Department of Medicine, Changhua, Taiwan ; ., Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 46615, Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taipei, Taiwan ; ., Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 46615, Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taipei, Taiwan ; ., Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology , No. 201, Section 2nd, Shih-Pai Rd. , Taipei, Taiwan , 11217 ; ., Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taipei, Taiwan ; ., National Taiwan University, 33561, Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Taipei, Taiwan ; ., Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology , No. 201, Sec. 2, Shih-Pai Road , Taipei, Taiwan , 112 ; .