Urodynamically age-specific prevalence of urinary incontinence in women with urinary symptoms

Aims: To determine the age-specific prevalence rates of different types of urinary incontinence in women with urinary symptoms using urodynamic studies (UDS).

Methods: One thousand five hundred women with urinary symptoms who underwent UDS in our department from January 1997 through December 1999 were enrolled. A detailed history, physical examination, and data of multi-channel UDS including uroflowmetry, filling and voiding cystometry, stress urethral pressure profile, and 20-minute pad test were obtained for each patient. The urodynamic findings of each patient were analyzed and correlated with age in decades.

Results: Of 1,500 women, 329 were excluded from analysis because they had undergone anti-incontinence surgery (n=27), had undergone treatment for cervical cancer (n=147), or were being followed-up after medication (n=155). Of the remaining 1,171 patients, 656 (56%) had genuine stress incontinence (GSI), 68 (5.8%) had detrusor instability (DI), 187 (16%) had mixed GSI/DI, 245 (20.9%) had either voiding or storing dysfunction without concomitant incontinence, and 15 (1.3%) had normal urodynamic findings. The 41-50- and 51-60-year age groups had the highest prevalence rates of urinary incontinence, accounting for 31% and 28% of GSI cases, 35% and 25% of DI cases, and 40% and 27% of mixed GSI/DI cases, respectively. The prevalence of GSI and mixed GSI/DI increased consistently with age, but the prevalence of DI decreased after age 66. Thus, the prevalence rates of GSI, DI, and mixed GSI/DI were 56%, 5.8%, and 16%, respectively, in women with urinary symptoms.

Conclusions: Female urinary incontinence had a biogenic peak prevalence in the 41-50-year and 51-60-year age groups.