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The relationship between sarcopenia and urinary incontinence

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Key summary points

AbstractSection Aim

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between urinary incontinence (stress and/or urgency) and sarcopenia in a large group of female older adults.

AbstractSection Findings

UI is independently associated with sarcopenia when muscle mass was adjusted by weight and also with presence of low muscle mass when muscle mass was adjusted by weight or BMI.

AbstractSection Message

Evaluation of sarcopenia may have a role in the management of stress and urgency urinary incontinence.

Abstract

Purpose

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common cause of morbidity in the female older adult. Identification of factors associated with UI is necessary to identify risky individuals, to take preventive measures, and to recognize commonly associated co-morbidities. We suggest that sarcopenia may be associated with UI through decrease in muscle mass/strength. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between UI (stress and/or urgency) and sarcopenia.

Methods

Female older adults ≥ 60 years that applied to geriatric outpatient clinic were analyzed cross-sectionally. The presence of UI, UI types, fecal incontinence, and constipation was obtained. Functional status was assessed by basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL and IADL), nutrition by mini-nutritional assessment-short form (MNA-SF). Total muscle mass was measured by bioimpedance analysis. Hand grip strength and walking speed were assessed.

Results

A total of 802 female adults were included. The prevalence of UI was 48.9%. Associated factors with presence of UI were higher age and BMI, presence of fecal incontinence, constipation, lower activities of ADL and IADL scores, lower grip strength, lower skeletal muscle mass adjusted by weight and BMI, and presence of sarcopenia adjusted by weight and BMI. Independent factors related with UI were presence of fecal incontinence, constipation, IADL dependency, low muscle mass adjusted by weight and body mass index, and sarcopenia adjusted by weight.

Conclusion

The results of our study suggest that UI is independently associated with sarcopenia when muscle mass was adjusted by weight and also with presence of low muscle mass when muscle mass was adjusted by weight or BMI.

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Author notes

  1. Tugba Erdogan and Gulistan Bahat carried out first author level work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Medical School, Istanbul University, Fatih, 34093, Istanbul, Turkey

    Tugba Erdogan, Gulistan Bahat, Cihan Kilic, Pınar Kucukdagli & Mehmet Akif Karan

  2. Department of Public Health, Istanbul Medical School, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Meryem Merve Oren

  3. Department of Cardiology, Istinye State Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Onur Erdogan

Authors
  1. Tugba Erdogan
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  4. Pınar Kucukdagli
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Correspondence to Tugba Erdogan.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of Istanbul University ethic committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Erdogan, T., Bahat, G., Kilic, C. et al. The relationship between sarcopenia and urinary incontinence. Eur Geriatr Med 10, 923–929 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-019-00232-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-019-00232-x

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