HEADLINES Published May24, 2015 By Bernadette Strong

Treating Overactive Bladder May Reduce Falls in the Elderly

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Treating overactive bladder reduces the risk of falls in elderly people.
(Photo : Matt Cardy, Getty Images)

When an elderly person falls, he or she may not be the same afterward. He or she might break a wrist or a hip and become frailer and more likely to need to move to a nursing home. But what does the risk of falls have to do with overactive bladder?  Treating overactive bladder may help reduce the risk of falls in older adults.  

A study has found that older adults who had a diagnosis of overactive bladder had a 40% increased risk of falling that those who did not. The study also found that treating overactive bladder reduced the risk of a fall compared to not treating the condition. Overall, people with a diagnosis of overactive bladder had a 10.2% risk of falling compared to a 5.3% risk of falling for people without the condition.

Falls result from overactive bladder because of the sudden need to get to the bathroom. For an older person, a sudden dash to the bathroom can lead to a fall that results in minor or major injuries. The study is based on Medicare claims data from 2006 to 2009. The researchers identified 32,587 people with a diagnosis of overactive bladder and then examined their medical histories for 1 year prior to the diagnosis and 2 years afterward. They looked for an association between overactive bladder and falls and at whether treating overactive bladder could help prevent falls.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Their results were presented recently at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association.

Overactive bladder is the name given to a group of troubling urinary symptoms. The most common form of overactive bladder is a sudden and unexpected urge to urinate that a person cannot control. In some people, this sudden urge may result in urine leakage (incontinence), but in others, it may not. Other symptoms of overactive bladder include frequent urination during the day and night.

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