Relationships between improvements in symptoms and patient assessments of bladder condition, symptom bother and health-related quality of life in patients with overactive bladder treated with tolterodine.
OBJECTIVE
Relationships were evaluated between treatment-related improvements in overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms as recorded in bladder diaries and patient-reported symptom bother, bladder-related problems and health-related quality of life (HRQL).


METHODS
A post hoc analysis was performed on data from patients with OAB (n = 863) enrolled in a 12-week open-label trial of tolterodine extended release (ER) in a primary care setting. At baseline and week 12, patients recorded every micturition, urgency episode and urgency urinary incontinence episode in 3-day bladder diaries. Patients also completed the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q) and Patient Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC). Relationships between week 12 changes in bladder diary variables and OAB-q and PPBC scores were evaluated using Spearman correlations.


RESULTS
By week 12, tolterodine ER-related improvements in all bladder diary variables were significantly correlated with improvements on the PPBC (r = 0.26-0.36; p < 0.001), OAB-q Symptom Bother scale (r = 0.30-0.51; p < 0.001), and all OAB-q HRQL domains (r = -0.24 to -0.42; p < 0.001), although the correlations were generally small to moderate in size. Improvements on the PPBC were also significantly correlated with improvements on the OAB-q Symptom Bother scale (r = 0.63; p < 0.001) and all HRQL domains (r = -0.40 to -0.59; p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Tolterodine ER-related improvements in OAB symptoms (assessed by diary variables) and patients' perceptions of the changes in symptom bother, bladder-related problems and HRQL (assessed by PPBC and OAB-q) were significantly correlated. The OAB-q and the PPBC provide a relevant and important patient perspective for OAB treatment evaluation.
Coyne
K S
KS
Center for Health Outcomes Research, United BioSource Corporation, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. karin.coyne@unitedbiosource.com
Elinoff
V
V
Gordon
D A
DA
Deng
D Y
DY
Brodsky
M
M
Glasser
D B
DB
Jumadilova
Z
Z
Carlsson
M
M
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003408:Cresols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000068737:Tolterodine Tartrate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D003408:Cresols; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D010665:Phenylpropanolamine; D000068737:Tolterodine Tartrate