Anticholinergic medications improve overactive bladder syndrome

A new study by Akvile Stoniutea and team showed that when anticholinergic medications are used for overactive bladder syndrome the symptoms e modestly improved. The findings of this study were published in Cochrane Library.

With age, the prevalence of overactive bladder symptoms (OAB; urgency with frequency and/or urge incontinence) rises to around 16% of people. Treatment for this illness frequently involves anticholinergic medications. This research is an update of a Cochrane Review that was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of anticholinergic medications with a placebo or no therapy for treating people with overactive bladder syndrome. The Cochrane Review was initially published in 2002 and last updated in 2006.

This research assessed the use of an anticholinergic medication alone vs a placebo in adult patients with overactive bladder syndrome in random or quasi-randomized trials. Two review authors independently determined eligibility and gathered data from the papers that were included, including a risk of bias evaluation. 

The key findings of this study were:

For this revision of the review, 104 studies were included, 71 of which were new or revised. 

Although the number of participants in 12 research was not reported, the remaining included studies included a total of 47,106 individuals. 

The bulk of the research lacked sufficient data to assess bias risk, and we found that they were ambiguous across all areas. 

In these investigations, nine anticholinergic medications were used. 

Studies comparing anticholinergic medications versus no therapy were not identified.

Anticholinergics may marginally improve the quality of life associated with the disease after the therapy term. 

In terms of patient perception of a cure or improvement and the average number of urgency episodes per 24 hours, anticholinergics are probably superior to placebo. 

Anticholinergics may increase side effects related to dry mouth and may raise the risk of urine retention when compared to placebo. 

Anticholinergic use may increase the likelihood that study participants may drop out owing to negative outcomes. 

In contrast to a placebo, using anticholinergics likely lowers the average number of urinations each day.

Reference: 

Hay-Smith, J., Herbison, P., Ellis, G., & Moore, K. (2002). Anticholinergic drugs versus placebo for overactive bladder syndrome in adults. In J. Hay-Smith (Ed.), The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Protocol). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd003781