Combination Of Behavior And Drug Therapies For Urge Incontinence Has Beneficial Impact On Patient Satisfaction

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 05 Aug 2008 - 3:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

While urge incontinence, or "overactive bladder," is commonly treated with pharmacotherapy and behavior modification, most patients do not achieve complete continence with either therapy alone.

In a trial, 307 women with urge incontinence were randomly assigned to 10 weeks drug therapy plus behavioral training or drug therapy alone.

Six months later, 41 percent of women in both groups reported a 70 percent or greater reduction in the frequency of incontinence episodes without additional treatment.

However, more women in the combination therapy group reported that they were completely satisfied with their progress than did women in the drug therapy-alone group.

According to the authors, the study results suggested that patient satisfaction may be influenced by other features such as volume of urine loss, frequency of voiding, or intensity of the urge sensation.

Annals of Internal Medicine is one of the five most widely cited peer-reviewed medical journals in the world. The journal has been published for 81 years and accepts only 7 percent of the original research studies submitted for publication. Annals of Internal Medicine is published by the American College of Physicians (ACP), the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 126,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illness in adults.

American College of Physicians