title: Persistence with first line anticholinergic medication in treatment-naïve overactive bladder patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the persistence of first line anticholinergic medication use by patients with overactive bladder (OAB). Data from a hospital outpatient database were matched with information obtained by a telephone survey of patients to determine which patients discontinued use of anticholinergic medication and to identify the reasons underlying discontinuation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group included 377 OAB patients (52 men, 325 women) with a mean age of 60.29 ± 13.84 years. In total, 189 patients (50.1%) were treated with trospium (median dose 27.86 ± 12.73 mg), 41 patients (10.9%) with propiverine (28.17 ± 4.97 mg), nine patients (2.4%) with extended-release tolterodine (4.0 ± 0 mg), 48 patients (12.7%) with solifenacin (5.94 ± 1.97 mg) and 90 patients (23.9%) with fesoterodine (6.09 ± 2.01 mg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median time for persistence with the first line anticholinergic treatment was 6.53 ± 3.84 months. Persistence was significantly higher in patients treated with anticholinergic medication with an extended-release formulation than in patients treated with immediate-release anticholinergics. The most common reasons for termination of treatment were healing/resolution of symptoms (35.9%), low effectiveness (30.9%) and side-effects (23.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half of the OAB patients were not satisfied with their first line treatment. Other treatment options should be sought, such as changing the medication or dosage, or possibly combining treatments.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Urology.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krhut
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gärtner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petzel
authors.forename: Radek
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sykora
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nemec
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tvrdik
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skoupa
mesh_terms: D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists