A Muscle-Regenerating Gel Aims to Treat Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions

In vaginal childbirth, the pelvic muscles are subjected to tremendous stretching and can suffer damage, e.g., tears. These injuries can lead to pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and urinary and fecal incontinence. The most common treatment option is rehabilitation, although in acute cases surgery may be necessary. However, the damaged fibers do not recover, says Pamela Duran, a bioengineer at the University of California. She and her team have created a hydrogel based on an extracellular matrix extracted from pigs, which has succeeded in regenerating the affected tissue. The results of the research, which was conducted in rats, were recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Read more.

Source: El Pais, October 30, 2023

Incontinence Due to Pelvic Floor Issues Affects Women With DM1

Pelvic floor disorders, including urinary and anal incontinence, are common in women with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and a cause of significant distress, according to a recent study in Canada. “This study highlights the importance of screening these symptoms in a clinical setting and will help develop interventions to adequately treat these symptoms, taking into account the characteristics of the disease,” its researchers wrote. Ways of addressing urinary incontinence — reported by 60% of the women in this study — “should be explored due to the high prevalence of this disorder,” the team added. The study, “Prevalence of urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders in women with myotonic dystrophy type 1,” was published in the journal Neuromuscular Disorders. Read more.

Source: Bionews, January 17, 2023

UH Researcher Receives $1.6 Million to Reverse Urinary Incontinence

A University of Houston researcher is working to reverse pelvic floor dysfunction which can result in urinary incontinence, a condition affecting 30-60% of the female population and 5-15% of males. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), the most common type of urinary incontinence in women, relates to the unintentional loss of urine which happens during movement or activities like sneezing, coughing or exercising. The condition is associated with pregnancy and aging and affects the pelvic floor, a group of muscles stretching from the pubic bone to the tail bone that contributes to continence. Read more.

Source: News-Medical.Net, October 15, 2020

FemTech – Making strides for women

While EU Member States discuss the Health Technology Assessment proposal, an EU-wide research tool to support decision-making on health technologies and innovation in the “FemTech” sector (encompassing fertility, pregnancy and nursing care, women’s sexual wellness and e-health technologies) promises to revolutionise the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions for women across Europe and beyond. Over 50 percent of women worldwide suffer from at least one of the following three pelvic floor dysfunctions: Stress urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Read more.

Source: The Parliament, July 23, 2019

Pelvic Floor Symptoms May Lead To Exercise Avoidance in Menopausal Women

Physical activity improves health and may delay the onset of chronic diseases. For women in particular, the rate of some chronic diseases accelerates at middle age around the time of menopause; therefore it is important to identify the determinants of health-enhancing physical activity during midlife in this population. The main aim of this study was to characterize the level of physical activity and to examine the association between different female reproductive factors and objectively-measured physical activity in middle-aged women. The reproductive factors included cumulative reproductive history index, and perceived menopausal and pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms. Read more.

Source: MedicalResearch.com, Feburary 28, 2017

Female Triathletes at Higher Risk for Pelvic Floor Disorders

Female triathletes are at a higher risk for several health issues, including pelvic floor disorders, new research indicates. Researchers conducted an internet survey of 311 self-identified female triathletes. Results showed a significant prevalence of pelvic floor disorders, with urinary incontinences (37.4 percent) and anal incontinence (28.0 percent) being the most common. Read more.

Source: Science Daily, August 23, 2016