title: The overactive bladder and quality of life.
abstract: Overactive bladder (OAB) affects 16.6% of the U.S. population, or 33 million adults, in some form. Despite the prevalence of OAB, almost 60% of those affected seek no medical assistance for the condition either because of embarrassment or the misconception that it represents an inevitable function of aging. A recent surge of interest on the subject has uncovered the dramatic effect that OAB can have on social interactions, sleep, depression, sexual health, and overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The introduction of validated, condition-specific QOL questionnaires has enhanced our ability to measure these subjective dimensions of OAB, and to assess their response to therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Evanston Continence Center, Northwestern University Medical School, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Lee B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Roger P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000592:standards; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology