Bladder Control Problems in Women With Type 2 Diabetes
American Diabetes Association
Prevalence of risk factors for urinary incontinence in women with type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2002, by J.S. Brown and colleagues. Diabetes Care 29:1307–1312, 2006.
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
The chances of having urinary incontinence, or poor bladder control, is much higher in women who have diabetes than in women who don’t have diabetes. There have not been many studies on whether women with pre-diabetes, or impaired fasting glucose that can lead to diabetes, also have a higher chance of having urinary incontinence.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to find out how much more likely it is for a woman with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes to develop poor bladder control, and they also wanted to find out which risk factors may be behind this.
Who was studied?
The 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) measured glucose levels and got information about diabetes and urinary incontinence from 1,461 women who were 20 years old or older.
How was the study done?
The women were tested for diabetes and impaired fasting glucose. The women reported how long they had diabetes, whether they used oral diabetes drugs, whether they used insulin, whether they had been diagnosed with diabetes complications, such as eye damage or nerve damage. The women also reported whether they have ever had bladder control problems and how often.
What did the researchers find?
The researchers found that women with diabetes and women with impaired fasting glucose had bladder control problems more often. One out of three women reported having urinary incontinence at least once a week.
Having microvascular complications (complications that affect small blood vessels), such as nerve damage, eye damage, and kidney damage, increase the risk of developing urinary incontinence. Having high blood glucose levels and being overweight were also found to be risk factors.
What were the limitations of the study?
The main limitation of this study is that the researchers only used one measurement of blood glucose to determine diabetes or impaired fasting glucose instead of using two tests taken on two separate days. So some women might have been misclassified as having diabetes or impaired fasting glucose.
What are the implications of the study?
Doctors do not always check for urinary incontinence. Doctors should be alert to urinary incontinence during a patient visit so that they can recommend ways to help make it better. Diagnosing urinary incontinence as a diabetes complication might help women make healthy lifestyle changes to prevent this problem and other diabetes-related problems.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/brown-bladder-control-problems.jsp
When I saw this study, it really struck a cord with me. Can you be surprised and not surprised at the same time? Maybe it was more “surprised” but “shudda known” at the same time. It definitely had me in a couple states of mind all at once.
This has always been a problem for me since I was a little girl. My doctors at the time couldn’t figure it out and always had me do those “special” muscle exercises every day to help prevent future accidents. My mother swore there was an infection. But at least now I can say “ah haa”.
I remember struggling to get through a school day without wetting my pants from laughing or coughing. Imagine the face of a little girl trying ever so hard not to laugh – now imagine the losing battle and her running to find a teacher. Yup, I was ‘that’ kid. Thankfully; most of my accidents were never seen by others but I sure felt the problem. It was quite embarrassing to have to tell my male elementary teachers about the issue and then later as a teenager have to carry extra clothes with me. Menstrual pads became my daily attire, even though I didn’t have many menstruals as a teen.
I can happily say that with improvement of my PCOS and losing 80 pounds the issue has become almost non-existent. While I still have the “oh no” feeling once in a bluemoon, I haven’t had an accident in years. I am able to at least hold it until I rush to a bathroom.
The only problem I have now is I am a frequent-restroom-visitor. Boy, if I needed one of those public-restroom tokens everytime I went, the company would be rich. It’s so bad I have become a “running” joke at work since my trips are never a secret. (I am an office manager and I have to ask others to watch the phone while I am away – on business). But, at least I am not having accidents.
Hopefully, as I continue to improve my health, my bladder will improve as well. It would be so nice not to have to be the one changes the roll all the time.
Angi Ingalls; PCOS in ConnecTion
Guest PCOS writer and Educator for over 18 years
http://angiingalls.com
pcosinct@yahoo.com
Diagnosed in 1985 at 12, living with PCOS since 1981
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