This International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society report aims to summarize the evidence and uncertainties regarding the use of hormone replacement therapy by any route in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) including recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI), with a review of special considerations for the elderly. Research question proposals to further this field have been highlighted.
An overview of the existing evidence, guidelines, and consensus regarding the use of topical or systemic estrogens in the management of LUTS.
There are currently evidence and recommendations to offer topical estrogens to postmenopausal women with overactive bladder symptoms as well as postmenopausal women with rUTIs. Systemic estrogens however have been shown in a meta-analysis to have a negative effect on LUTS and, therefore are not currently recommended.
Although available evidence and recommendations exist for the use of topical estrogens, few women are commenced on these in primary care. There remain large gaps still within our knowledge of the use of estrogens within the management of LUTS, particularly on when it should be commenced, the length of time treatment should be continued for, and barriers to prescribing.
Neurourology and urodynamics. 2024 Jan 30 [Epub]
Annika Taithongchai, Rayan Mohamed-Ahmed, Sanjay Sinha, William Gibson, Ilias Giarenis, Dudley Robinson, Paul Abrams
Department of Urogynaecology, King's College Hospital, London, UK., Department of Urology, Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, India., Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada., Department of Urogynaecology, Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Norwich, UK., Bristol Urological Institute, Bristol, UK.