InControl Medical wins FDA clearance for new Attain, the first over-the-counter (OTC) non-implantable muscle stimulator designed for at-home use to help treat the approximately 60 million women in the U.S. suffering with stress, urge, mixed urinary incontinence and/or bowel incontinence. This is good news for all those affected by urinary and/or involuntary bowel leakage that can increase with age: 20% -30% of young women, 30%-40% of middle-aged women, and up to 50% of older women suffer from incontinence. It’s time to talk about this taboo topic before diapers become the newest accessory in the Nike store. So, strengthen your calves and abs, but don’t forget to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles too, says Lauren Streicher, M.D., Medical Director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Health and Menopause and Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University. All kidding aside, many of my patients who suffer with urinary incontinence, can also have leaky bowel, and truly suffer in silence and embarrassment. Post-partum, anal or rectal cancer, and the natural aging process can cause incontinence. Thankfully, many patients respond well to pelvic-floor electrical stimulation and biofeedback as a first-line treatment, before considering surgery or medication. Attain is a small, painless, easy to use medical device for women to self-treat in the privacy of their own home, reducing or eliminating the need for pads or diapers. Read more.
Source: Global Banking & Finance Review, March 26, 2019