Survey: Half of women experiencing OAB report current treatment option not working

IRVINE, Calif. — Nearly half of women age 45 years or older who experience symptoms of overactive bladder report their current treatment does not address their OAB symptoms, according to a recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Allergan.

 

Nearly 9-in-10 women surveyed report that OAB impacts their everyday life, and about 2-in-3 women have used some kind of treatment to manage their OAB symptoms, most commonly pills prescribed by a physician (31%). Despite the impact of the condition, about 21% worry about being perceived as a difficult patient if they are unhappy with a treatment plan.

 

Treatment often begins with such lifestyle changes as reduction of fluid intake, decreased amounts of caffeine, bladder-control strategies and pelvic floor muscle training. Anticholinergic medications, in the form of pills, also are often prescribed by physicians to manage OAB. In one study of 1,117 patients, the majority of patients (73.5%) stopped taking their pills within one year due to side effects and/or lack of results. 

 

An estimated 39 million Americans currently are living with OAB — a common, sometimes disabling, condition often associated with a considerable impact on patients with symptoms that include a strong, sudden need to urinate and urinary frequency with or without leakage.

 

In May, the American Urological Association released updated treatment guidelines for OAB, Allergan stated, which supports Allergan's Botox as an appropriate therapy to consider for the treatment of overactive bladder when self-management is not effective, and anticholinergic medications do not work well enough or are too difficult to tolerate. Botox works by calming the nerves that trigger the overactive bladder muscle, helping to reduce daily leakage episodes, treat the strong need to urinate right away and reduce the number of times needed to empty the bladder daily.