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794
gynecologic practices and general practices than those treated in urologist practices (HR 1.60; 95% CI 1.521.67,
P,.001 and HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.201.29, P,.001, respectively)
and for younger patients than those older than 80 year old
(60 years or younger, HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.221.33; 6170
years, HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.111.21; 7180 years, HR 1.14,
95% CI 1.091.18, P,.001). Those using propiverine or solifenacin were less likely to discontinue treatment than those
using oxybutynin (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.880.99, P5.024 and
HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.870.98, P5.004, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Patients with UI demonstrate high discontinuation rates for anticholinergics with only slight
variations between the various drugs in this category.
(Obstet Gynecol 2014;124:794800)
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000000468
Kalder et al
795
discontinuation and the demographic and clinical variables described previously for a maximum follow-up
period of 36 months. A stepwise selection procedure
with an entry criterion of P,.1 was used to select the
final optimal model. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs)
and 95% confidence intervals are presented for the
independent variables.
The proportional hazard assumption was assessed
and upheld for all analyses. Furthermore, potential
confounders (age, urologist, gynecologist and general
practitioner care, private health insurance, and practice situated in West Germany), codiagnoses, and
adverse side effects were included as independent
variables. Two-sided tests were used and a P value of
,.05 was considered statistically significant. All calculations were carried out using SAS 9.3. Best-practice
methods for retrospective database studies were taken
into consideration.14
The study was conducted in accordance with the
Declaration of Helsinki; it was reviewed by the
institutional review board of IMS Health and was
considered exempt from the requirement for ethical
approval.
RESULTS
Altogether, 26,834 patients with first-time prescriptions
of a UI product were identified (Fig. 1). These patients
were treated in 203 gynecologic, 95 urological, and 988
general practices. Patient characteristics are shown separately for each substance prescribed initially (Table 1).
Mean age was 69.4 years (standard deviation 13.2) and
64.0% of patients were female. The proportion of
female patients was different for urologists (43.5%)
and general practitioners (74.9%). Only female patients
were treated in gynecologic practices.
An increasing discontinuation rate of 74.8% in
year 1, 77.6% in year 2, and 87% in year 3 was
observed (Fig. 2). After 1 year of follow-up, 74.6% of
female and 75.1% of male patients had discontinued
their treatment (refill gap of 90 days). Within 3 years
of follow-up, discontinuation rates increased to 86.5%
for women and 87.9% for men (P5.056).
We also investigated whether discontinuation was
dependent on the doctor specialty and found a significant difference in the discontinuation rate within 3
years for patients treated by gynecologists (92.0%),
urologists (85.7%), and general practitioners (86.8%)
(P,.001). Moreover, the proportion of patients who
discontinued therapy depended on age; it was 89.7%
in patients aged 60 years or younger, 87.9% in
patients aged 6170 years, 86.8% in patients aged
7180 years, and 83.0% in patients aged older than
80 years (reference group; P,.001).
796
Kalder et al
n
1,995
Demographics
Age (y)
70.3612.6
General practitioners
43.3
Gynecologists
11.4
Urologists
45.3
Male gender
37.4
Private insurance
12.7
West Germany
84.0
Comorbidities
Stress incontinence
25.2
Other incontinence
89.5
Diagnoses at baseline
Diabetes
28.5
Overweight or
11.7
adiposity
Obstipation
11.4
Depression
31.3
Movement disorders or
8.7
Parkinsons disease
Epilepsy
2.4
Migraine
6.5
Dementia including
9.9
Alzheimers
disease
Multiple sclerosis
1.4
Glaucoma
3.1
Prescription of
4.6
physical therapy
within 6 mo before
index date
Referral to
35.7
ophthalmologists
within 3 mo after
therapy start
Side effects
Confirmed diagnosis
0.8
of glaucoma
Xerostomia
0.5
Fatigue
3.2
Headache
3.6
Stomach upset
6.3
Obstipation
7.1
Dry eyes
0.4
811
3,813
2,714
4,844
1,814
10,843
69.3613.5
40.9
11.6
47.5
36.3
12.7
85.6
68.8613.6
38.5
16.5
45.0
32.7
3.2
87.8
66.3618.2
31.6
4.6
63.8
42.5
5.6
74.5
68.0613.7
35.8
29.6
33.7
27.1
10.0
79.9
24.5
88.9
23.9
89.8
23.5
87.6
23.4
91.6
23.2
89.1
23.7
90.0
.241
.205
32.2
17.2
29.4
13.4
27.5
11.3
29.4
13.0
25.1
11.8
30.7
13.5
.392
.589
14.8
30.4
12.1
10.6
29.5
7.2
10.3
25.4
7.5
10.3
30.2
9.0
9.9
28.7
7.2
13.7
31.6
9.1
.015
.218
.503
1.8
4.5
11.5
1.8
5.3
9.1
2.5
4.9
9.8
2.0
4.8
9.7
2.9
4.8
9.2
2.1
4.9
11.2
.913
.116
.085
0.3
3.0
5.6
1.6
2.9
2.9
1.5
4.8
3.9
1.2
3.7
4.4
2.2
3.6
4.4
1.5
4.2
4.1
.383
.153
.697
31.6
35.5
36.5
37.7
31.3
35.1
.621
1.2
0.3
0.9
0.6
0.6
0.6
.665
0.6
3.3
3.3
7.8
8.4
0.0
0.3
3.4
2.5
8.6
6.0
0.5
0.6
2.8
2.7
7.0
5.4
0.6
0.3
3.3
2.2
8.0
7.0
0.3
0.3
3.5
2.2
4.2
7.5
0.4
0.3
3.5
2.7
8.0
9.8
0.5
.525
.582
.290
.714
,.001
.793
Kalder et al
797
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
12
18
24
30
36
2,381
1,743
1,291
Patients at risk
26,834
7,979
4,820
3,281
Fig. 2. KaplanMeier curves for continuation over 36 months in patients with urinary incontinence treatment (refill gap of
90 days).
Kalder. Discontinuation of Incontinence Treatment. Obstet Gynecol 2014.
DISCUSSION
Like previous reports, this study revealed an increasing high discontinuation rate for treatment with
anticholinergics in patients with UI at 12, 24, and 36
months (74.8%, 77.6%, and 87%, respectively).8,1517
These findings are consistent with previous studies, in
which discontinuation rates between 62% and 77.2%
at 12 months and 92% at 36 months were reported.8,9
Our study focused on the symptom of UI rather
than overactive bladder and notably the type of
incontinence did not appear to represent a significant
prognostic factor for the treatment discontinuation
rate. Although the study data set did not provide
information on the rationale of prescribing anticholinergics to patients with SUI, the similar discontinuation rate for all types of incontinence raises concerns
in its own right regarding the long-term effectiveness
of the treatment.
The discontinuation rate at 3 years was higher in
the younger age groups than in the oldest (89.7% in
patients 60 years or younger compared with 83.0% in
those 80 years old or older), which confirms the
results of a recent study.9 This is an interesting finding
considering that a common belief among clinicians is
that the elderly are less tolerant to side effects.
798
Kalder et al
Those patients who were prescribed the anticholinergic by a urologist were less likely to stop the
medication than those prescribed treatment by a gynecologist (85.7% and 92%, respectively, by 3 years);
this cannot be attributed to gender differences because
the male gender was associated with increased risk of
treatment discontinuation (HR 1.14). Significant differences were also observed between gynecologists
and general practitioners (92% and 86.8%, respectively, by 3 years). Although it is impossible to deduce
a causative relationship between the prescribing
doctors specialty and differences in discontinuation
rates, it is important to bring the findings to the attention of physicians; physicians awareness may lead to
adequate counseling and regular reassessment for
these patients, especially of young ones. Counseling
should address improvement of symptoms, obviating
the need for continued therapy.
The most common side effect reported was
obstipation (5.49.8%) followed by gastric disturbances (4.28.6%). Those taking propiverine and solifenacin were less likely to discontinue treatment,
because these drugs are known to have milder side
effects than oxybutynin.9,18,19 Overall, the side effects
were most likely underreported as a result of the
Table 2. Association Between Treatment Discontinuation Within 36 Months and Defined Variables (Cox
Regression Analysis)
Outcome Variable
Propiverine
Solifenacin
Fesoterodine
Tolterodine
Trospium
Darifenacin
Age (y)
60 or younger
6170
7180
Male gender
Private insurance
West Germany
Stress incontinence
Gynecologists
General practitioners
Diabetes
Depression
Obstipation
Overweight or obesity
Movement disorders or Parkinsons disease
Epilepsy
Migraine
Dementia
Multiple sclerosis
Glaucoma
Headache
Stomach upset
Xerostomia
Fatigue
Dry eyes
0.89
0.98
1.00
1.06
0.97
1.00
(0.840.94)
(0.941.03)
(0.921.09)
(0.991.12)
(0.931.01)
(0.941.06)
,.001
.514
.993
.085
.146
.926
0.94 (0.880.99)
0.93 (0.870.98)
1.33
1.22
1.16
1.01
1.16
1.04
1.11
1.56
1.14
0.85
1.08
1.06
0.98
0.85
0.81
1.38
0.71
0.78
1.37
1.37
1.25
1.00
1.01
1.16
(1.271.39)
(1.171.28)
(1.121.21)
(0.981.04)
(1.101.22)
(1.001.08)
(1.081.15)
(1.501.62)
(1.111.17)
(0.810.88)
(1.031.12)
(1.001.12)
(0.941.02)
(0.800.91)
(0.710.92)
(1.261.50)
(0.660.76)
(0.69-0.89)
(1.091.72)
(1.211.55)
(1.171.33)
(0.911.09)
(0.901.13)
(0.851.59)
,.001
,.001
,.001
.561
,.001
.062
,.001
,.001
,.001
,.001
.001
.064
.316
,.001
.009
,.001
,.001
,.001
.007
,.001
,.001
.956
.886
.339
1.27
1.16
1.14
1.14
1.14
(1.221.33)
(1.111.21)
(1.091.18)
(1.111.18)
(1.081.20)
,.001
,.001
,.001
,.001
,.001
1.60
1.24
0.88
1.06
(1.521.67)
(1.201.29)
(0.850.91)
(1.021.10)
,.001
,.001
,.001
.005
0.88
0.76
1.21
0.75
0.74
1.46
1.27
1.20
(0.820.94)
(0.670.87)
(1.111.32)
(0.701.80)
(0.650.85)
(1.161.84)
(1.121.43)
(1.121.27)
,.001
,.001
,.001
,.001
,.001
.001
,.001
,.001
.024
.004
Reference is oxybutynin.
Reference is urologists.
Kalder et al
799
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Kalder et al
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