title: Is There a Relationship between Vitamin B12 and Stress Urinary Incontinence?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pelvic floor, which includes collagen, elastin, and smooth muscle, is very important in preventing urinary incontinence (UI). Studies suggest that vitamin B12 is involved in collagen synthesis. In the present study we aimed to determine the association of vitamin B12 deficiency with stress UI in a sample of Turkish women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two women with stress UI or mixed UI who met the inclusion criteria from a group of 541 women with stress UI or mixed UI, were included in the study. The study group was compared with a control group of 20 healthy women without UI who matched to the study group's demographic data and met the inclusion criteria. Demographic data as well as duration of symptoms and vitamin B12 levels were analyzed and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ages of the study and the control groups were 50.04 ± 4.6 and 49.02 ± 5.1 years, respectively. Vitamin B12 level was 300.95 ± 142.9 pg/mL in the study group, whereas in the control group it was 598.98 ± 120.3 pg/mL (P < 0.001). In the study group, 66.6% of the patients with stress UI had vitamin B12 levels less than 300 pg/mL. When the duration of symptoms and vitamin B12 levels were compared, women with vitamin B12 levels less than 200 pg/mL had symptoms for a longer duration (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One of the main etiologic factors for stress UI is a defect in pelvic floor support. Vitamin B12 is lower in women with stress UI. Analysis of vitamin B12 levels should also be considered in the evaluation of women with stress UI.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kesiktas
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Habibe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erkan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gungor
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eskiyurt
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationDepartments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Onay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yalcin
keywords: stress urinary incontinence; vitamin B12