Impact of urinary incontinence and overactive bladder syndrome on health-related quality of life of working middle-aged patients and institutionalized elderly patients

Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered by patients with urinary symptoms as the main outcome variable. Descriptive data about HRQoL in patients with urinary incontinence (UI) and/or overactive bladder (OAB) are reported. These data may serve as a reference for comparison purposes. Materials and methods: Data were taken from EPICC, a national, multicenter, observational, epidemiological study. Data from representative samples of four population groups were analyzed: working patients of both sexes aged 50-64 years, and institutionalized elderly patients of both sexes with no cognitive impairment. In addition to demographic and clinical data, HRQoL data from the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q SF) and the SF-12 Health Survey were also analyzed. Results: Of the total patients in the EPICC study, 26.53% completed the HRQoL questionnaires. Patients with both UI and OAB symptoms had poorer scores than those with OAB or UI respectively in the PCS (41.34 vs. 47.17 and 45) and MCS (46.01 vs. 49.04 and 47.78) of the SF-12, and in the symptom (32.21 vs. 19.19 and 16.65) and quality of life (82.32 vs. 86.72 and 89.45) dimensions of the OAB-q SF. Impact of OAB and UI on HRQoL was higher in men over 65 years of age as compared to women of the same age (76.76 vs. 82.79). Conclusions: Concurrent symptoms of both UI and VH have a greater impact on HRQoL than those of either UI or VH alone. Impact on HRQoL is similar in middle-aged men and women, but higher in elderly men. (C) 2009 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.