AIMS: Lower urinary tract symptoms are commonly experienced among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), however, their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has not been well characterized.
Herein the incremental impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on HRQOL among patients with MS has been evaluated.
METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was administered to US residents with a self-reported MS diagnosis. Data pertaining to demographics, disease history, urinary symptoms, and HRQOL, including the Short Form 36, version 2 (SF-36v2), were collected. Patients were stratified into four urinary symptom groups: no/minimal urinary symptoms, urinary urgency (UU), urinary urgency incontinence (UUI), and other lower urinary tract symptoms. Multiple linear regression models evaluated the impact of these symptoms.
RESULTS: Out of the 1,052 respondents, mean age was 47.8 ± 10.6 years; mean time since MS diagnosis was 8.5 ± 7.8 years. UUI and UU subgroups showed the greatest adjusted HRQOL decrement compared with the no/minimal urinary symptoms group, scoring 2.8 (SE ± 0.7, UUI) and 3.5 (SE ± 0.8, UU) points lower on SF-36v2 Physical Component Summary, respectively, and 3.7 (SE ± 1.0, UUI) and 5.0 (SE ± 1.2, UU) points lower on SF-36v2 Mental Component Summary (P < 0.001 for all), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Both UU and UUI symptoms contribute to a decrement in HRQOL among patients with MS.
Written by:
Khalaf KM, Coyne KS, Globe DR, Malone DC, Armstrong EP, Patel V, Burks J. Are you the author?
Allergan, Inc., Irvine, California.
Reference: Neurourol Urodyn. 2014 Oct 18. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1002/nau.22670
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25327401