Individuals with overactive bladder sleep poorly

Sleep disturbance appears to be common among individuals with overactive bladder (OAB), regardless of treatment, as reported in a study.

The study was a cross-sectional survey of adults with OAB. Sleep disturbance, nocturia, and depression were evaluated using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 Profile (Sleep Disturbance and Depression domains), Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network Symptom Index-10, and PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Short Form 8B.

The participants were grouped according to the treatment they received: antimuscarinics, β-3 adrenergic agonists, and no treatment. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) facilitated testing for differences in study endpoints, Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise tests to compare differences in least squares means between groups.

A total of 100 participants comprised each treatment group. The overall mean age was 47.8 years. Symptom scores across all PROMIS domains in all three treatment groups were higher than in the general population in the US.

Furthermore, the outcomes did not significantly differ across the three treatment groups. The mirabegron group showed a trend toward the lowest symptom impact across all outcomes.

The findings suggest that adults with OAB are affected by sleep disturbance and depression, whether they are receiving treatment or not. More studies are needed to examine temporal associations between OAB treatment, sleep disturbance, and outcomes.