There Are Some Benefits to C-Sections, Researchers Say

It may seem like undergoing surgery to have a child wouldn’t have a lot of advantages, but it turns out there may be some benefits to having a cesarean section. Experts warn, however, that it doesn’t mean you should schedule the operation unless it’s needed. A study in PLOS Medicine concluded that women who have cesarean deliveries (also known as C-sections) have a lower risk of urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse. Dr. Sarah Stock, who researches preterm birth at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and her team looked at one randomized controlled trial and 79 cohort studies involving nearly 30 million women. The studies looked at long-term outcomes of women who had the surgery compared to those who delivered vaginally. Read more.

Source: Healthline, January 23, 2018

Sleep Quality Improves with Help of Incontinence Drug

A drug used to curtail episodes of urinary incontinence in women also improves quality of sleep, a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine reports. People who experience urinary incontinence, especially at night, often have trouble maintaining normal sleep cycles. Now, the Stanford researcher sees promise in using one drug to help remedy both problems. “Two of the biggest quality-of-life factors for older women are poor sleep quality and incontinence, and the older you get, the more prevalent both conditions are, and they do seem to be correlated,” said Leslee Subak, MD, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology. “And so, if we can find a drug to treat one and effectively decrease the other too, that could be big for improving quality of life.” Read more.

Source: Stanford Medicine News Center, January 11, 2018

You may also with to read: Incontinence Drug May Help Sleep Dysfunction in Older Women

Elidah Welcomes the New Year with New Funding for Incontinence Therapy

Elidah (http://www.elidah.com) has received multiple awards for further development of its neuromuscular stimulation technology to treat incontinence. Elidah has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue development of its wearable device, Elitone, designed to treat urinary incontinence, a condition that affects one in three women. Additionally, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program in the Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Elidah a contract to develop and adapt the Elitone technology for the treatment of injured Service members. These awards start in January 2018. Read more.

Source: NBHerard, January 9, 2018

USPSTF Recommends Against HT for Prevention of Chronic Conditions in Postmenopausal Women

Hormone therapies in menopausal women are associated with some beneficial effects, such as decreased risk for diabetes and fracture, but are also associated with increased risks for stroke, thromboembolic events, gallbladder disease and urinary incontinence, according to an evidence report and systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. In 2012, the USPSTF recommended against the use of HT for prevention of chronic conditions, and the current update continues to recommend against its use. Read more.

Source: Healio, December 12, 2017

New Genomic Analysis Promises Benefit in Female Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence in women is common, with almost 50% of adult women experiencing leakage at least occasionally. Genetic or heritable factors are known to contribute to half of all cases, but until now studies had failed to identify the genetic variants associated with the condition. Speaking at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Monday), Dr Rufus Cartwright, MD, a visiting researcher in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College, London, UK, will say that his team’s investigations hold out the promise that drugs already used for the treatment of other conditions can help affected women combat this distressing problem. Read more.

Source: Medical Xpress, May 29, 2017

Incontinence Tied to Low Testosterone in Women

A possible link between low levels of testosterone in women and urinary incontinence raises the possibility that testosterone replacement therapy might help, results from a new study suggest. “Testosterone may prevent pelvic floor atrophy, thereby reducing the risk of urinary incontinence,” said investigator Michelle Kim, MD, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Levator ani muscles are known to have androgen receptors. In one rodent model, testosterone administered after surgically induced urinary incontinence resulted in levator hypertrophy (Int Urol Nephrol. 2011;43:1003-1008). Because it is unclear whether the same association exists in humans, Dr Kim and her colleagues were prompted to assess the correlation between testosterone and incontinence. Read more.

Source: Medscape, May 18, 2017

Acupuncture Stops Urinary Bladder Leakage Over Drugs

Acupuncture outperforms drug therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate female stress urinary incontinence (FSUI). Researchers from Weihai City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine conclude that electroacupuncture is effective for the control of FSUI. In the study, an electroacupuncture treatment group produced a positive patient outcome rate of 86.7%. The drug control group produced a 68.9% positive patient outcome rate for the treatment of FSUI. The electroacupuncture group had a significantly higher complete recovery rate and total effective rate. Read more.

Source: Health CMi, May 9, 2017

P&G Partners with Walmart Around Raising Awareness on Common Issue

In order to help normalize the topic of bladder leaks, Always Discreet is working with retailers to educate women nationwide. As an example, Procter & Gamble’s Always Discreet brand on Thursday worked with Walmart to launch a new, inspirational video to help women understand how common bladder leaks are and to rethink their negative feelings. “Because many women avoid talking about their bladder leaks, they can often feel alone in their experience, embarrassed to bring up the topic, and hesitant to shop for and wear incontinence products,” stated Barbara Hannah Grufferman, positive living expert, author and Always Discreet spokesperson. “Over the years, I’ve spoken to thousands of women around the country who have bladder leaks, and most women don’t realize how common and normal it is. The good news is that once women realize how many other women experience it too, they feel better about it and themselves,” she said. “That’s what’s been captured in this video, and the hope is that women watch it, make that connection for themselves and feel more confident, empowered and compelled to live their best lives and stand in solidarity with the many other women who experience bladder leaks too.” Read more.

Source: Drug Store News, May 4, 2017

Trendlines Gets Grant for Urinary Incontinence Device

Trendlines Labs is to receive a grant from the Singapore Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation for the development and clinical trial of its stress urinary incontinence (SUI) product, which is being developed in partnership with the Singapore General Hospital. The 50 women in the trial, expected to start mid-2017 at the hospital, will provide feedback on the product. The foundation will provide up to 50 percent of the $400,000 the partners need to fund the final product development and clinical trial. Trendlines Labs, the innovation arm of The Trendlines Group Ltd., the Israeli venture fund and tech accelerator firm, has developed a nonsurgical, non-pharmaceutical solution to mitigate SUI, a form of incontinence that affects approximately 15 million women in the US alone, according to the Women’s Health Foundation. SUI is caused by weak sphincter muscles or weak pelvic floors, and can occur when there is abdominal stress on the pelvic organs — the bladder, vagina, uterus, or rectum. Read more.

Source: Times of Israel, April 3, 2017

New System Uses Remote Medical Monitoring, Mobile Games to Improve At-Home Pelvic Floor Muscle Training

Urinary incontinence is any involuntary urine leakage. It is a condition that can be more or less severe and it affects one in three women of all ages, which is more than 56 million people in Europe and more than 350 million people in the world. It is not a normal part of ageing and has a negative impact on the quality of life of the women who suffer from it. The main risk factors for urinary incontinence are pregnancy and childbirth, overweight and obesity, and high-impact sports. There are several treatments to improve or cure its symptoms, depending on the type of incontinence, and it can also be prevented by taking measures before it appears. One approach that has proven effective in preventing and treating stress urinary incontinence is pelvic floor muscle training. It consists of a programme of contraction and relaxation exercises for the muscles that form the base of the pelvis. If the treatment is followed and performed correctly with the supervision of a therapist, the rate of cure/improvement may reach 70% .Read more.

Source: News-Medical.net, March 9, 2017