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Incontinence in MS Affects Walking Ability, Negatively Impacts Patients’ Quality of Life, Study Finds

Urinary incontinence,  associated with poor functioning of the muscles in the pelvic area, was found to have a negative impact on daily activities like walking and overall quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Adding pelvic floor muscle training to an MS treatment program may help to improve overall function, the researchers suggest, which could improve patient performance of daily life activities, especially in those with moderate or severe dependence on others. The study, “Pelvic floor dysfunction negatively impacts general functional performance in patients with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journal Neurology and Urodynamics. Read more.

Source: Multiple Sclerosis News Today, February 18, 2020

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Health Declines Are More Rapid in Older Women with Urinary Incontinence

As women age, their ability to get around affects their quality of life. A new study shows that older women’s physical functioning declines more rapidly if they develop urinary incontinence, according to public health researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Catherine Pirkle and Yan Yan Wu, both assistant professors in the Office of Public Health Studies in the Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, collaborated with researchers in Brazil, Colombia and Canada to recruit approximately 900 women in their sixties and seventies from those three countries plus Albania. About 25 percent of women over age 60 experience urinary incontinence. Study participants completed a short test of physical functioning, which included measuring the speed of their usual walking pace, checking their balance and testing how fast they could stand up from a chair. The women also completed a questionnaire about their health, which included a query about whether they had experienced any leakage of urine in the past week. After two years, the women repeated the physical functioning test. Read more.

Source: University of Hawai’i News, October 11, 2018