title: Stress urinary incontinence and endogenous sex steroids in postmenopausal women.
abstract: Urinary incontinence in general is a major cause of quality of life impairment, morbidity and hospitalization. Its onset is strongly linked to the menopause. Our study aimed to elucidate the possible relationship between endogenous circulating estrogens and the onset and development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
  
  
  
  One hundred and thirty eight peri- and postmenopausal women with SUI were matched 1:1 with continent women based on age and BMI. Morning fasting blood samples were drawn from all subjects for assessment of estradiol (E2), FSH, LH, Testosterone, Δ4-Androstendione (Δ4Α), DHEAS, prolactin, SBHG as well as a biochemical profile (glucose, insulin, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, ApoA1, ApoB). Hormone and biochemical parameters were compared between continent and incontinent women.
  
  
  
  Incontinent women had significantly lower serum estradiol levels compared to those in the control group (17.30 ± 8.16 vs. 24.22 ± 8.99, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the same association was observed for serum Δ4Α (146.07 ± 52.63 vs. 159.99 ± 42.62, P = 0.017). These associations remained significant after controlling for age, menopausal age, BMI, and number of deliveries.
  
  
  
  These results may indicate that within the postmenopausal range, endogenous sex hormones may be associated with the presence of SUI in women not on menopausal hormone therapy. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:121-125, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Areti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Augoulea
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sioutis
authors.affiliation: Hormonal Laboratory, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Demetrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizos
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panoulis
authors.affiliation: First Department of Neurology, University of Athens, Aiginiteio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Armeni
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Efthymios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deligeoroglou
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Attico Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chrelias
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Creatsa
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liapis
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieio Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lambrinoudaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D011788:Quality of Life; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D000735:Androstenedione; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: estrogens; postmenopause; stress urinary incontinence