Study Finds Medication Cuts Incontinence Episodes by 50% - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2000  

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New research shows that tolterodine not only reduces incontinence episodes by 50% in patients who have overactive bladders, but also is well tolerated for long-term treatment. According to research presented at the International Continence Society's 29th annual meeting and the International Urogynecologic Association's 24th annual meeting, patients treated with tolterodine achieved significant improvements in incontinence episodes, frequency of micturition (ie, urination), and amount of urine voided per micturition. As a result, tolterodine is shown to increase patient satisfaction and compliance.

Researchers studied 2,220 patients who were enrolled in two-, four-, or 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled studies with tolterodine or placebo medications. Of this group, 75% of patients (1,669) elected to continue long-term open-label treatment with tolterodine. Incontinence episodes were significantly reduced from 3.2 at baseline to 1.6 after 12 months of treatment with tolterodine. Thirty-five percent of the 1,669 patients experienced poor efficacy on other treatments.

Overactive bladder is a serious chronic disease that affects 50 million people of all ages worldwide. Despite its prevalence, 80% of those afflicted with overactive bladders are not under a physician's care. Many people fail to seek medical help because they mistakenly believe or are even told by physicians that bladder control problems are an inevitable part of aging and that nothing can be prescribed to help. Many people also are too embarrassed to talk about their problems with a physician. In the past, therapy for overactive bladders was limited to medication with poor tolerability, leading to low compliance or early discontinuation of treatment, according to the release.

New Research Shows Well-tolerated Tolterodine Cuts Incontinence Episodes in Half in Overactive Bladder Patients (press release, Denver: University of Toronto Public Affairs and Media Relations, Mt Sinai Hospital, Aug 24, 1999) 1-2.

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