[Urinary disorders and metabolic syndrome: prospective study]. / Troubles vésicosphinctériens et syndrome métabolique: étude prospective.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic syndrome (MS) risk factors are potentially implicated in the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The goals of this study were to analyze the prevalence of the LUTS in patients presenting with MS and to evaluate the correlation between the MS components and LUTS. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on a group of 34 patients with MS according to the criteria of the NCEP ATP III. Urinary symptom profile (USP) questionnaire was used to evaluate LUTS. The physical examination included: weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure looking for orthostatic hypotension. The following laboratory data were obtained: fasting blood sugar, postprandial glycemia, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol. RESULTS: The mean age was 56.2 years (±9.2). Twenty of the patients (58.8%) were females. All patients underwent diabetic and hypertension therapy. The mean BMI was 30.2±4.8 and waist circumference was 107.8±9.3 cm. USP total score was 8.3±6. Besides, 29 (85.2%) patients had overactive bladder symptom, and 13 (38.2%) patients presented with urinary stress incontinence. The overactive bladder USP score was significantly correlated with age, waist circumference, BMI and postprandial glycemia. The other parameters of MS were not correlated with urinary symptoms. CONCLUSION: The most frequent urinary symptom in the MS was overactive bladder symptoms and urinary incontinence. The components of MS that influenced the USP score were abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia. The hypothesis of a link between MS and overactive bladder in diabetic patients with MS is plausible.

Efficacy and treatment compliance of a home-based rehabilitation programme for chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and treatment compliance of a home-based rehabilitation programme for chronic low back pain (CLBP). POPULATION: CLBP outpatients treated in a Physical Medicine Rehabilitation or Rheumatology unit within a university hospital. METHODS: We performed a prospective, comparative study. The participants were randomly assigned to either a home-based rehabilitation programme (Gp A) or a standard physical therapy (Gp B). The programme included four weekly sessions. In each group, we measured pain intensity (on a visual analogue scale, VAS), flexibility and muscle endurance (the Schöber MacRae test, finger-to-floor distance, thigh-leg angle, the Shirado and Sorensen test), functional and psychological repercussions (the Quebec functional index and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale) and handicap (on a VAS). Follow-up examinations took place at baseline and four weeks and three, six and 12 months later. RESULTS: One hundred and seven patients (82 women) with a mean+/-standard deviation (S.D.) age of 35.7+/-0.8 years were included (with 54 patients in Gp A). At four weeks, a significant improvement (relative to baseline) was observed for all parameters in both study groups but with a significantly greater difference in Gp A, which was maintained at one year (despite an observed regression of the improvement at six months). At one year, compliance with the home-based rehabilitation programme was good (68.1%) and 59.5% of the patients regarded the programme as useful. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a home-based rehabilitation programme is as effective as standard physical therapy. However, this type of programme requires patient motivation and regular follow-up.