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Introduction
Urinary incontinence (UI) in older adults is a potentially life-threatening
problem. Potential consequences include significant functional decline, im-
paired quality of life, frailty, institutionalization, and death [1,2]. Reported
prevalence for urinary incontinence ranges from 15% among relatively
healthy community-dwelling older adults to 65% among frail older adults
[3,4]. Available figures most likely underestimate the true prevalence of UI
for several reasons, including patient embarrassment, low rates of clinical
detection, and lack of awareness of effective treatment options [5]. Health
care costs for UI exceed $20 billion annually [6]. Additionally, the lifetime
medical cost of treating an older adult who has urinary incontinence ap-
proaches $60,000 [7]. Added costs arising from complications of UI, such
as loss of wages, poor quality of life, depression, and loss of self-esteem, in-
crease the financial burden of UI even further [6].
* Division of Geriatric Medicine, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, 1402
South Grand Boulevard, Room M238, St. Louis, MO 63104.
E-mail address: wilsonmg@slu.edu
0025-7125/06/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2006.06.005 medical.theclinics.com
826 WILSON
Gender
Anatomic
Cultural
Environmental
Neurologic disease
Childbirth
Tissue disruption
Pelvic surgery
Constipation
Occupation
Obesity
Surgery
Advanced age
Disease
Dementia
Drugs
Debility
Disease
Environment
Medications
Urinary Incontinence
Nonpharmacologic treatment
Nonpharmacologic intervention strategies vary with the type of UI. In
patients who have OAB the mainstay of nonpharmacologic management
is behavior modification tailored to suit the individual patient. Mentally
competent, functionally intact, and highly motivated people are good candi-
dates for patient-dependent intervention, such as biofeedback therapy.
Caregiver-dependent toileting protocols are more appropriate in dependent
or cognitively impaired patients. Prompted voiding is a caregiver-dependent
strategy that offers the patient a regular opportunity to toilet. The desig-
nated caregiver offers toileting assistance at scheduled intervals, usually
starting with a short period of about 2 hours. Prompted voiding has the
added advantage of providing the patient an opportunity for social interac-
tion and positive reinforcement. Habit training is a more complex variant of
this method in which people who have UI are encouraged to link voiding to
specific activities, such as meals, drinks, or just before outings. Eventually,
regular toileting becomes a habit and involuntary urine loss is preempted.
In older adults who have severe cognitive impairment and are unable to
respond to communication a simple timed toileting schedule may be more
helpful. In such cases the caregiver toilets the patient consistently at prede-
termined intervals. Prompted voiding and habit training also are helpful in
the management of older adults who have functional incontinence. Environ-
mental assessment, and modification if indicated, is critical to the effective
management of functional UI. Adaptive equipment and assistive appliances
may help facilitate efficient toileting and reduce incontinent episodes.
Rehabilitative exercises focusing on pelvic muscles and biofeedback ther-
apy can be helpful in patients who have stress incontinence or mixed
URINARY INCONTINENCE 831
Pharmacologic therapy
Detrusor muscle contraction depends on the action of Ach on bladder
muscarinic receptors. Antimuscarinic drugs therefore are effective in the
treatment of overactive bladder. Side effects, such as delirium, cognitive im-
pairment, orthostatic hypotension, falls, and cardiac arrhythmias, mandate
caution in the use of these agents in older adults. Data suggest that the
newer, selective antimuscarinic agents may provide a safer alternative, al-
though in older patients the occurrence of delirium, dry mouth, urinary re-
tention, constipation, and blurring of vision are still troubling concerns.
Five muscarinic receptor subtypes have been cloned (Fig. 2). M1, M4,
and M5 receptor subtypes predominate in the nervous system, whereas
M2 and M3 receptors predominate in smooth muscle. M2 and M3 receptors
are the major cholinergic receptors in the bladder. M3 receptors mediate di-
rect detrusor muscle contraction, whereas M2 receptors seem to play a role
in inhibition of bladder relaxation and modulation of bladder contraction in
pathologic conditions, such as denervation injury or spinal cord disease.
Differences in receptor subtype distribution are particularly important
when considering adverse events associated with antimuscarinic agents in
older adults.
Oxybutynin and tolterodine are the two most commonly used antimus-
carinic agents in the treatment of OAB. Oxybutynin is a relatively nonselec-
tive antimuscarinic agent and acts primarily on M1, M2, and M3 receptor
Summary
UI is highly prevalent in older adults and associated with excess comor-
bidity and increased mortality. Intensive screening and comprehensive clini-
cal examination of all elders enables prompt detection, accurate classification,
and appropriate treatment. OAB is the most common cause of persistent
incontinence in the older adult. As with other types of UI, behavior modifi-
cation is first-line treatment of OAB. Although antimuscarinic agents have
been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of OAB, limited data are
available regarding the safety and tolerability of these agents in older adults.
Patients who fail to respond to noninvasive treatment or those in whom sur-
gery may be appropriate should be referred to the urologist for evaluation
and further management.
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