title: Associations of commonly used medications with urinary incontinence in a community based sample.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the association between the use of medications and the prevalence of urinary incontinence in gender specific analyses of a community based, representative sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population based epidemiological study was conducted of 5,503 men and women 30 to 79 years old residing in Boston, Massachusetts (baseline data collected from 2002 to 2005). Urological symptoms were ascertained in a 2-hour, in person interview. Urinary incontinence was defined as urine leakage occurring weekly or more often during the last year. Medications used in the last month were considered current use. Associations of 20+ medications and prevalent urinary incontinence were examined using multivariate logistic regression (ORs and 95% CIs) with adjustments for known urinary incontinence risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of urinary incontinence in the analysis sample was 9.0% in women and 4.6% in men. For women the prevalence was highest among users of certain antihistamines (28.4%) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (22.9%). For men the prevalence was highest among angiotensin II receptor blocker (22.2%) and loop diuretic (19.1%) users. After final multivariate adjustment there were significant positive associations for certain antihistamines, beta receptor agonists, angiotensin II receptor blockers and estrogens with urinary incontinence in women (all ORs greater than 1.7), and a borderline significant association for anticonvulsants (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.00, 3.07). Among men only anticonvulsants were associated with urinary incontinence after final adjustments (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.24, 5.03), although angiotensin II receptor blockers showed an adjusted association of borderline significance (OR 2.21; 95% CI 0.96, 5.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a cross-sectional analysis cannot determine causality, our analysis suggests certain medications should be further examined in longitudinal analyses of risk to determine their influence on urological symptoms.
authors.affiliation: New England Research Institutes, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472, USA.
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Steers
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tennstedt
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McKinlay
mesh_terms: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006633:Histamine Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D049994:Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000318:Adrenergic beta-Agonists; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D006633:Histamine Antagonists; D049994:Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors