Associations of financial strain and unmet social needs with women's bladder health.

OBJECTIVE: Financial strain and unmet social needs are associated with greater risk for lower urinary tract symptoms. Little research has examined financial strain and unmet social needs in relation to the more holistic concept of bladder health. This study utilizes baseline data from RISE FOR HEALTH: A U.S. Study of Bladder Health to examine whether financial strain, unmet social needs, and meeting specific federal poverty level threshold levels are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms and poorer perceived bladder health, well-being, and function. STUDY DESIGN: Participants were 18 years or older, born female or currently identified as a woman, and from the civilian, noninstitutionalized population residing in 50 counties in the United States that included or surrounded 9 recruitment centers. Data were collected through mailed or internet-based surveys. To address research questions, the 10-item Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network - Symptom Index and selected Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Research Consortium bladder health scores were separately regressed on each financial strain, unmet social need, and federal poverty level variable, using linear regression adjusting for covariates (age, race/ethnicity, education, and vaginal parity) and robust variance estimation for confidence intervals (CI). Participants with no missing data for a given analysis were included (range of n=2564-3170). In separate sensitivity analyses, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes were added as covariates and missing data were imputed. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 51.5 years (standard deviation=18.4). Not having enough money to make ends meet, housing insecurity, food insecurity, unreliable transportation, and percent federal poverty levels of 300% or less were consistently associated with more reported lower urinary tract symptoms and poorer perceived bladder health. For example, compared to food secure participants, women who worried that their food would run out at the end of the month had a Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network - Symptom Index score that was 3.4 points higher (95% CI: 2.5, 4.3), on average. They also had lower mean scores across different bladder health measures, each assessed using a 100-point scale: global bladder health (-8.2, 95% CI: -10.8, -5.7), frequency (-10.2, 95% CI: -13.8, -6.7), sensation (-11.6, 95% CI: -15.1, -8.2), continence (-13.3, 95% CI: -16.7, -9.9), and emotional impact of bladder health status (-13.2, 95% CI: -16.5, -9.9). Across analyses, associations largely remained significant after additional adjustment for body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes. The pattern of results when imputing missing data was similar to that observed with complete case analysis; all significant associations remained significant with imputation. CONCLUSION: Financial strain and unmet social needs are associated with worse LUTS and poorer bladder health. Longitudinal research is needed to examine whether financial strain and unmet social needs influence the development, maintenance, and worsening of lower urinary tract symptoms; different mechanisms by which financial strain and unmet social needs may impact symptoms; and the degree to which symptoms contribute to financial strain. If supported by etiologic research, prevention research can be implemented to determine whether the amelioration of financial strain and social needs, including enhanced access to preventative care, may promote bladder health across the life course.

Urinary microbiome community types associated with urinary incontinence severity in women.

BACKGROUND: Urinary microbiome (urobiome) studies have previously reported on specific taxa and community differences in women with mixed urinary incontinence compared with controls. Therefore, a hypothesis was made that higher urinary and vaginal microbiome diversity would be associated with increased urinary incontinence severity. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to test whether specific urinary or vaginal microbiome community types are associated with urinary incontinence severity in a population of women with mixed urinary incontinence. STUDY DESIGN: This planned secondary, cross-sectional analysis evaluated associations between the urinary and vaginal microbiomes and urinary incontinence severity in a subset of Effects of Surgical Treatment Enhanced With Exercise for Mixed Urinary Incontinence trial participants with urinary incontinence. Incontinence severity was measured using bladder diaries and Urinary Distress Inventory questionnaires collected at baseline. Catheterized urine samples and vaginal swabs were concurrently collected before treatment at baseline to assess the urinary and vaginal microbiomes. Of note, 16S rRNA V4 to V6 variable regions were sequenced, characterizing bacterial taxa to the genus level using the DADA2 pipeline and SILVA database. Using Dirichlet multinomial mixtures methods, samples were clustered into community types based on core taxa. Associations between community types and severity measures (Urinary Distress Inventory total scores, Urinary Distress Inventory subscale scores, and the number of urinary incontinence episodes [total, urgency, and stress] from the bladder diary) were evaluated using linear regression models adjusted for age and body mass index. In addition, alpha diversity measures for richness (total taxa numbers) and evenness (proportional distribution of taxa abundance) were analyzed for associations with urinary incontinence episodes and community type. RESULTS: Overall, 6 urinary microbiome community types were identified, characterized by varying levels of common genera (Lactobacillus, Gardnerella, Prevotella, Tepidimonas, Acidovorax, Escherichia, and others). The analysis of urinary incontinence severity in 126 participants with mixed urinary incontinence identified a Lactobacillus-dominated reference group with the highest abundance of Lactobacillus (mean relative abundance of 76%). A community characterized by fewer Lactobacilli (mean relative abundance of 19%) and greater alpha diversity was associated with higher total urinary incontinence episodes (2.67 daily leaks; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-4.59; P=.007) and urgency urinary incontinence episodes (1.75 daily leaks; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-3.27; P=.02) than the reference group. No significant association was observed between community type and stress urinary incontinence episodes or Urogenital Distress Inventory total or subscores. The composition of vaginal community types and urinary community types were similar but composed of slightly different bacterial taxa. Vaginal community types were not associated with urinary incontinence severity, as measured by bladder diary or Urogenital Distress Inventory total and subscale scores. Alpha diversity indicated that greater sample richness was associated with more incontinence episodes (observed genera P=.01) in urine. Measures of evenness (Shannon and Pielou) were not associated with incontinence severity in the urinary or vaginal microbiomes. CONCLUSION: In the urobiome of women with mixed urinary incontinence, a community type with fewer Lactobacilli and more diverse bacteria was associated with more severe urinary incontinence episodes (total and urgency) compared with a community type with high predominance of a single genus, Lactobacillus. Whether mixed urinary incontinence severity is due to lesser predominance of Lactobacillus, greater presence of other non-Lactobacillus genera, or the complement of bacteria consisting of urobiome community types remains to be determined.

The brain, gut, and bladder health nexus: A conceptual model linking stress and mental health disorders to overactive bladder in women.

OBJECTIVE: A small, but growing literature links stressors and mental health disorders (MHDs) across the life course to overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence symptoms. Mechanisms by which stressors and MHDs may impact bladder health are not fully understood, limiting novel prevention and treatment efforts. Moreover, potential biopsychosocial mechanisms involving the brain and gut have not been considered in an integrated, comprehensive fashion. METHODS: Members of the prevention of lower urinary tract symptoms Research Consortium developed conceptual models to inform research on biopsychosocial mechanisms through which stress and MDHs may impact bladder health among girls and women, focusing on brain and gut physiology. RESULTS: Two conceptual models were developed-one to explain central (brain-based) and peripheral (gut-based) mechanisms linking stressors and MHDs to OAB and bladder health, and one to highlight bidirectional communication between the brain, gut, and bladder. Traumatic events, chronic stressors, and MHDs may lead to a maladaptive stress response, including dysregulated communication and signaling between the brain, gut, and bladder. Gut bacteria produce molecules and metabolites that alter production of neurotransmitters, amino acids, short-chain fatty acids, and inflammatory immune response molecules that mediate communication between the gut and brain. Microbiota signal neurogenesis, microglia maturation, and synaptic pruning; they also calibrate brain-gut-bladder axis communication through neurotransmission and synaptogenesis, potentially influencing bladder symptom development. Life course trajectories of risk may be prevented or interrupted by central and peripheral resources for neuropsychological resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Depicted pathways, including brain-gut-bladder communication, have implications for research and development of novel prevention and treatment approaches.

Microbiologist in the Clinic: Postmenopausal Woman with Chronic OAB and Positive Urine Culture.

In this second episode of the Microbiologist in the Clinic series, clinicians and laboratory scientists share their perspectives about a 75-year-old woman who was diagnosed with asymptomatic bacteriuria based on positive urine cultures. The patient and her GP are concerned about this laboratory finding as the patient will become immunosuppressed with planned chemotherapy. The patient has had an overactive bladder (OAB) for approximately 20 years, with good control of her urinary urgency and frequency (no incontinence) with a stable dose of OAB medication. The challenges of this clinical presentation are discussed, with evidence for evaluation and treatment.

Association Between Maternal Depression and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Their Primary School-Age Daughters: A Birth Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Although maternal depression is associated with adverse outcomes in women and children, its relationship with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in offspring is less well-characterized. We examined the association between prenatal and postpartum maternal depression and LUTS in primary school-age daughters. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 7148 mother-daughter dyads from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. METHOD: Mothers completed questionnaires about depressive symptoms at 18 and 32 weeks' gestation and 21 months postpartum and their children's LUTS (urinary urgency, nocturia, and daytime and nighttime wetting) at 6, 7, and 9 years of age. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between maternal depression and LUTS in daughters. RESULTS: Compared to daughters of mothers without depression, those born to mothers with prenatal and postpartum depression had higher odds of LUTS, including urinary urgency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] range = 1.99-2.50) and nocturia (aOR range = 1.67-1.97) at 6, 7, and 9 years of age. Additionally, daughters born to mothers with prenatal and postpartum depression had higher odds of daytime wetting (aOR range = 1.81-1.99) and nighttime wetting (aOR range = 1.63-1.95) at 6 and 7 years of age. Less consistent associations were observed for depression limited to the prenatal or postpartum periods only. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to maternal depression in the prenatal and postpartum periods was associated with an increased likelihood of LUTS in daughters. This association may be an important opportunity for childhood LUTS prevention. Prevention strategies should reflect an understanding of potential biological and environmental mechanisms through which maternal depression may influence childhood LUTS.

Detection of Bacteria in Bladder Mucosa of Adult Females.

PURPOSE: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is a chronic urological condition diagnosed in nearly 8 million females in the United States. Whether urinary microbiota play an etiological role remains controversial. Most studies assessed the microbiota of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients with voided or catheterized urine as a proxy for bladder urothelium; however, urine may not be a true reflection of the bladder microbiota. Bladder biopsy tissue may provide a more accurate, and thus more clinically relevant, picture of bladder microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bladder biopsy tissues were obtained from: (1) 30 females with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (18-80 years old) via cystoscopically guided cold-cup biopsy following therapeutic bladder hydrodistention, and (2) 10 non-interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome females undergoing pelvic organ prolapse repair. To detect bacteria, technical duplicates of each RNAlater-preserved biopsy were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To visualize bacteria, paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies were subjected to a combined multiplexed fluorescence in situ hybridization and fluorescence immunohistochemistry assay and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Bacteria were detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in at least 1 technical duplicate of most biopsies. The most abundant genus was Staphylococcus, followed by Lactobacillus; Escherichia was common but not abundant. There was no significant difference between interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients and controls (P > .05). Combined fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry reproducibly detected 16S rRNA in epithelial cells and shed cells in the urothelium and lesioned areas and capillary walls in the lamina propria of human bladder biopsy tissue. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that urothelial and urinary microbiota are similar but not identical in adult females.

The RISE FOR HEALTH study: Methods for in-person assessment and biospecimen collection.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the methods for the in-person assessment of the RISE FOR HEALTH (RISE) study, a population-based multicenter prospective cohort study designed to identify factors that promote bladder health and/or prevent lower urinary tract symptoms in adult women, conducted by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Research Consortium (PLUS). METHODS AND RESULTS: A subset of RISE participants who express interest in the in-person assessment will be screened to ensure eligibility (planned n = 525). Eligible consenting participants are asked to complete 15 physical assessments in addition to height and weight, to assess pelvic floor muscle function, musculoskeletal (MSK) status, and pain, and to provide urogenital microbiome samples. Pelvic floor muscle assessments include presence of prolapse, strength, levator attachment integrity (tear) and myofascial pain. MSK tests evaluate core stability, lumbar spine, pelvic girdle and hip pain and function. Participants are asked to complete the Short Physical Performance Battery to measure balance, lower extremity strength, and functional capacity. All participants are asked to provide a voided urine sample and a vaginal swab for microbiome analyses; a subset of 100 are asked to contribute additional samples for feasibility and validation of a home collection of urinary, vaginal, and fecal biospecimens. RESULTS: Online and in-person training sessions were used to certify research staff at each clinical center before the start of RISE in-person assessments. Standardized protocols and data collection methods are employed uniformly across sites. CONCLUSIONS: The RISE in-person assessment is an integral portion of the overall population-based RISE study and represents an innovative approach to assessing factors hypothesized to promote bladder health and/or prevent lower urinary tract symptoms. Data collected from this assessment will be used to prioritize future research questions and prevention strategies and interventions. This description of the assessment methods is intended to provide methodologic transparency and inform other researchers who join efforts to understand and improve bladder health.

RISE FOR HEALTH: Rationale and protocol for a prospective cohort study of bladder health in women.

INTRODUCTION: The spectrum of bladder health and the factors that promote bladder health and prevent lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among women are not well understood. This manuscript describes the rationale, aims, study design, sampling strategy, and data collection for the RISE FOR HEALTH (RISE) study, a novel study of bladder health in women conducted by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptom (PLUS) Research Consortium. METHODS AND RESULTS: RISE is a population-based, multicenter, prospective longitudinal cohort study of community-dwelling, English- and Spanish-speaking adult women based in the United States. Its goal is to inform the distribution of bladder health and the individual factors (biologic, behavioral, and psychosocial) and multilevel factors (interpersonal, institutional, community, and societal) that promote bladder health and/or prevent LUTS in women across the life course. Key study development activities included the: (1) development of a conceptual framework and philosophy to guide subsequent activities, (2) creation of a study design and sampling strategy, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and (3) selection and development of data collection components. Community members and cross-cultural experts shaped and ensured the appropriateness of all study procedures and materials. RISE participants will be selected by simple random sampling of individuals identified by a marketing database who reside in the 50 counties surrounding nine PLUS clinical research centers. Participants will complete self-administered surveys at baseline (mailed paper or electronic) to capture bladder health and LUTS, knowledge about bladder health, and factors hypothesized to promote bladder health and prevent LUTS. A subset of participants will complete an in-person assessment to augment data with objective measures including urogenital microbiome specimens. Initial longitudinal follow-up is planned at 1 year. DISCUSSION: Findings from RISE will begin to build the necessary evidence base to support much-needed, new bladder health promotion and LUTS prevention interventions in women.

Microbiologist in the clinic: coitally related symptoms with negative urine cultures.

In this first episode of the Microbiologist in the Clinic series, clinicians and laboratory scientists share their perspectives about a 30 y/o woman, who is seeking specialty consultation for frequent episodes of urinary urgency, frequency, and dysuria, which respond to short courses of antibiotics. Although her home dipsticks suggest that she has a UTI, and her urinalysis typically has a moderate number of white blood cells, her urine cultures are always negative. The challenges of this clinical presentation are discussed with evidence for evaluation and treatment.

Urobiome changes differ based on OAB treatment in adult females.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Representatives of two classes of oral medication are often used to treat urgency urinary incontinence (UUI): solifenacin, an M3-receptor-selective antimuscarinic, and mirabegron, a beta-3 agonist. Two previous asynchronous drug-specific studies suggested different interactions between these medications and the urobiome despite identical methodologies, including recruitment, sample procurement, medication dose escalation strategy, determination of 12-week responders versus nonresponders, and data collection. This analysis compares data from these two studies using a uniform analytic approach. METHODS: Urine was collected aseptically via transurethral catheter from consenting participants for subsequent processing by the Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture (EQUC) protocol in two cohorts (n=50 and n=47) that were demographically similar. Species accumulation curves were generated to compare the total number of unique species detected. Indices that measure richness, evenness, and/or abundance were used to compare alpha (within sample) diversity. The Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity Index was used to determine between sample (beta) diversity. RESULTS: The majority of the 40 species detected in the pre-treatment urobiomes were detected in both cohorts. Both pre-treatment urobiomes were substantially similar in species richness, evenness, and diversity. Differences in pre-treatment urobiomes were associated with treatment response for solifenacin-treated participants only. In contrast, the pre-treatment urobiomes of mirabegron-treated participants were not associated with treatment response. Changes in the post-treatment urobiomes were detected in both cohorts with an increase in richness for both solifenacin (5-mg dose only) and mirabegron. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment urobiome characteristics were associated with treatment response in participants treated with solifenacin, but not mirabegron. Differences exist in urobiome response after treatment with two medications that have known differences in mechanism of action.

Importance of internal vaginal pelvic floor muscle exams for women with external lumbar/hip/pelvic girdle pain.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The relationship between external lumbar, hip, and/or pelvic girdle pain and internal vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain is not well described. We assessed this relationship in a cohort of adult women. METHODS: The cohort included women ≥ 18 years old who received care for external lumbar, hip, and/or pelvic girdle pain (reported or elicited on physical examination) who then underwent internal vaginal myofascial levator ani pain assessments, in a tertiary care Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery pelvic pain clinic over a 2-year period (2013 and 2014). RESULTS: The cohort of 177 women had an average age of 44.9±16.0 years, an average body mass index of 27.2±7.0 kg/m2, and the majority (79.2%) were white. Most patients presented with a chief complaint of pelvic (51.4%), vulvovaginal (18.6%), and/or lumbar (15.3%) pain. Women who reported symptoms of lumbar, hip, or pelvic girdle pain were more likely to have pain on vaginal pelvic floor muscle examination than women without this history (OR, 7.24; 95% CI, 1.95-26.93, p=0.003). The majority (85.9%) of women had bilateral internal vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain on examination. CONCLUSIONS: Although participants did not describe "vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain," the high detection rate for internal vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain on clinical examination highlights an opportunity to improve treatment planning. These findings suggest that the vaginal pelvic floor muscle examination should be part of the assessment of all women with lumbar, hip, and/or pelvic girdle pain. The relationship between this finding and clinical outcomes following directed treatment warrants additional study.

Promotion of gender equity in obstetrics and gynecology: principles and practices for academic leaders.

The advancement of women leaders in obstetrics and gynecology does not reflect the changes in the physician workforce seen over the last 50 years. A core value of our culture in obstetrics and gynecology must be gender equity. Departmental, institutional, and professional society efforts should explicitly prioritize and demonstrate a commitment to gender equity with tangible actions. This commentary from the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society synthesizes available information about women holding academic leadership roles within obstetrics and gynecology. We propose specific principles and leadership practices to promote gender equity.

Symptom improvement with mirabegron treatment is associated with urobiome changes in adult women.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Mirabegron, a beta-3 agonist, is prescribed for urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). We assessed the correlation of symptom improvement with urobiome characteristics in adult women participants prescribed mirabegron for UUI treatment. METHODS: We enrolled participants seeking UUI treatment who selected mirabegron and agreed to participate in this 12-week, open label study conducted at the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Center at Loyola University Medical Center. Following eligibility screening and research consent, participants completed the overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-Q) and provided a catheterized urine sample at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome, symptom improvement at 12 weeks, was based on the validated Patient Global Symptom Control questionnaire score to dichotomize symptom response (responder vs nonresponder [PGSC score ≤3]). Urine samples were processed by the Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture (EQUC) protocol. RESULTS: Eighty-three participants (mean age 68 years) completed baseline assessment. Of the 47 participants with primary outcome data and samples analysis, there were 16 responders and 31 nonresponders; responder groups were similar demographically. Living microbes were detected in most participants. There were no significant differences in alpha diversity (within sample) at baseline between groups. However, at the 12-week follow-up, the responder urobiome became significantly richer, with a larger number of genera (p = 0.027) and was significantly more diverse than the nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal urobiome changes are associated with symptom improvement in adult women being treated with mirabegron for UUI. The mechanism for symptoms improvement may relate to the detected changes in the urobiome and warrants further study.

Urinary microbiota of women with recurrent urinary tract infection: collection and culture methods.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Many clinicians utilize standard culture of voided urine to guide treatment for women with recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI). However, despite antibiotic treatment, symptoms may persist and events frequently recur. The cyclic nature and ineffective treatment of RUTI suggest that underlying uropathogens pass undetected because of the preferential growth of Escherichia coli. Expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) detects more clinically relevant microbes. The objective of this study was to assess how urine collection and culture methods influence microbial detection in RUTI patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled symptomatic adult women with an established RUTI diagnosis. Participants contributed both midstream voided and catheterized urine specimens for culture via both standard urine culture (SUC) and EQUC. Presence and abundance of microbiota were compared between culture and collection methods. RESULTS: Forty-three symptomatic women participants (mean age 67 years) contributed specimens. Compared to SUC, EQUC detected more unique bacterial species and consistently detected more uropathogens from catheterized and voided urine specimens. For both collection methods, the most commonly detected uropathogens by EQUC were E. coli (catheterized: n = 8, voided: n = 12) and E. faecalis (catheterized: n = 7, voided: n = 17). Compared to catheterized urine samples assessed by EQUC, SUC often missed uropathogens, and culture of voided urines by either method yielded high false-positive rates. CONCLUSIONS: In women with symptomatic RUTI, SUC and assessment of voided urines have clinically relevant limitations in uropathogen detection. These results suggest that, in this population, catheterized specimens analyzed via EQUC provide clinically relevant information for appropriate diagnosis.

Racial Differences in Urinary Incontinence Prevalence, Overactive Bladder and Associated Bother among Men: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE: We examined the association of race/ethnicity with urinary incontinence subtypes and overactive bladder, and associated bother in older men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, an observational cohort of 4 racial/ethnic groups. At the sixth followup examination (age 60 to 98 years, 2015 to 2016) urinary symptoms were ascertained with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire. Prevalence ratios of urinary incontinence subtypes and overactive bladder without incontinence by race/ethnicity were calculated while adjusting for demographics, comorbidities and medications. Degree of bother was based on scale of 0 (none) to 10 (most) with bother presence defined as a score of 3 or greater. RESULTS: Among 1,536 men 94% completed the questionnaire. Among completers, race/ethnicity was 40.7% nonHispanic White, 14.3% Chinese, 23.0% nonHispanic Black and 22.1% Hispanic. Urinary incontinence was reported by 11.1% and urgency urinary incontinence accounted for 78.0% of all urinary incontinence. The highest prevalence of urgency urinary incontinence was noted among nonHispanic Black men (13.0%) followed by Hispanic (11.3%), nonHispanic White (6.8%) and Chinese (2.9%) men. NonHispanic Black men showed a higher prevalence of any urinary incontinence (PR 1.62, 95% CI 1.06-2.47) and urgency urinary incontinence (1.63, 95% CI 1.01-2.61) compared to nonHispanic White men after adjustments for covariates. No significant association was noted with other urinary incontinence subtypes by race/ethnicity after adjustment for covariates. More than 70% of urinary incontinence was associated with bother for all racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence prevalence differs by race/ethnicity but most urinary incontinence is associated with bother regardless of race/ethnicity.

Measuring Bladder Health: Development and Cognitive Evaluation of Items for a Novel Bladder Health Instrument.

PURPOSE: We describe the item development and cognitive evaluation process used in creating the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Bladder Health Instrument (PLUS-BHI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questions assessing bladder health were developed using reviews of published items, expert opinion, and focus groups' transcript review. Candidate items were tested through cognitive interviews with community-dwelling women and an online panel survey. Items were assessed for comprehension, language, and response categories and modified iteratively to create the PLUS-BHI. RESULTS: Existing measures of bladder function (storage, emptying, sensation components) and bladder health impact required modification of time frame and response categories to capture a full range of bladder health. Of the women 167 (18-80 years old) completed individual interviews and 791 women (18-88 years) completed the online panel survey. The term "bladder health" was unfamiliar for most and was conceptualized primarily as absence of severe urinary symptoms, infection, or cancer. Coping mechanisms and self-management strategies were central to bladder health perceptions. The inclusion of prompts and response categories that captured infrequent symptoms increased endorsement of symptoms across bladder function components. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder health measurement is challenged by a lack of awareness of normal function, use of self-management strategies to mitigate impact on activities, and a common tendency to overlook infrequent lower urinary tract symptoms. The PLUS-BHI is designed to characterize the full spectrum of bladder health in women and will be validated for research use.

Racial differences in urinary incontinence prevalence and associated bother: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence is influenced by multiple factors, and the prevalence of urinary incontinence subtypes may differ by race and ethnicity. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence subtypes and associated bother among women by race and ethnicity. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, an observational cohort study of 4 racial and ethnic groups recruited from 6 communities from the United States. At the sixth follow-up examination, urinary symptoms were ascertained with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire. The prevalence rate ratios of stress urinary incontinence, urgency urinary incontinence, and mixed urinary incontinence by race and ethnicity were calculated using generalized linear models for the binomial family while adjusting for covariates. The degree of bother was based on a scale of 0 (none) to 10 (greatest bother), and presence of any bother was defined as a score of ≥3. RESULTS: Among the 1749 female participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who completed the sixth follow-up examination, 1628 (93%) completed the questionnaire. Women who did not complete the questionnaire were older than those who completed the questionnaire (average age, 82.2 [standard deviation, 9.5] vs 73.7 [standard deviation, 8.4] years; P<.01) and more likely to use diuretics (29.8% vs 18.9%; P<.01). Among those who completed the questionnaire (n=1628), 39.4% were white, 12.5% were Chinese, 27.2% were black, and 20.9% were Hispanic. After adjusting for covariates, stress urinary incontinence (prevalence rate ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.86) and mixed urinary incontinence (prevalence rate ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.89) regardless of bother scores were significantly less prevalent among black vs white women, although no significant racial and ethnic differences in stress or mixed urinary incontinence prevalence were noted for Chinese or Hispanic women vs white women. No racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of urgency urinary incontinence were noted after the adjustment for covariates. Most women with urinary incontinence reported bother scores of ≥3 regardless of race and ethnicity and urinary incontinence subtype, and bother scores did not differ significantly by race and ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Frequency of urinary incontinence subtypes may differ by race and ethnicity, but older women who report urinary incontinence are likely to have associated bother regardless of race and ethnicity.

Recurrent urinary tract infection: Association of clinical profiles with urobiome composition in women.

AIMS: Clinical profiles of women with recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI) are correlated with their urinary microbes. METHODS: This IRB-approved, cross-sectional study enrolled adult women with RUTI. Urine samples (catheterized and voided) underwent culture by expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) and standard urine culture (SUC) methods. A validated symptom questionnaire, relevant clinical variables, and EQUC were used to identify symptom clusters and detect associations with specific urinary microbes. RESULTS: Most (36/43) participants were postmenopausal; the average age was 67 years. 51% reported vaginal estrogen use; 51% reported sexual activity. Although single symptoms were not associated with specific urinary microbes, EQUC results were correlated with five distinct clinical profile clusters: Group A: odor, cloudiness, and current vaginal estrogen use (no culture result association). Group B: frequency, low back pain, incomplete emptying, and vaginal estrogen (significantly increased proportion of Lactobacillus-positive cultures). Group C: pain/burning, odor, cloudiness, and urgency (high proportions of UTI-associated microbe-positive cultures). Group D: frequency, urgency, pain/burning, and current vaginal estrogen use (increased number of no growth cultures). Group E: frequency, urgency, pain/burning, odor, overactive bladder, and sexually active (significantly increased proportion of Klebsiella-positive cultures). CONCLUSIONS: Distinct clinical profiles are associated with specific urinary microbes in women with RUTI. Refined assessments of clinical profiles may provide useful insights that could inform diagnostic and therapeutic considerations.

Vaginal estrogen therapy is associated with increased Lactobacillus in the urine of postmenopausal women with overactive bladder symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has shown that the vaginal microbiome decreases in Lactobacillus predominance and becomes more diverse after menopause. It has also been shown that estrogen therapy restores Lactobacillus dominance in the vagina and that topical estrogen is associated with overactive bladder symptom improvement. We now know that the bladder contains a unique microbiome and that increased bladder microbiome diversity is associated with overactive bladder. However, there is no understanding of how quickly each pelvic floor microbiome responds to estrogen or if those changes are associated with symptom improvement. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine if estrogen treatment of postmenopausal women with overactive bladder decreases urobiome diversity. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from postmenopausal participants in 2 trials (NCT02524769 and NCT02835846) who chose vaginal estrogen as the primary overactive bladder treatment and used 0.5 g of conjugated estrogen (Premarin cream; Pfizer, New York City, NY) twice weekly for 12 weeks. Baseline and 12-week follow-up data included the Overactive Bladder questionnaire, and participants provided urine samples via catheter, vaginal swabs, perineal swabs, and voided urine samples. Microbes were detected by an enhanced culture protocol. Linear mixed models were used to estimate microbiome changes over time. Urinary antimicrobial peptide activity was assessed by a bacterial growth inhibition assay and correlated with relative abundance of members of the urobiome. RESULTS: In this study, 12 weeks of estrogen treatment resulted in decreased microbial diversity within the vagina (Shannon, P=.047; Richness, P=.043) but not in the other niches. A significant increase in Lactobacillus was detected in the bladder (P=.037) but not in the vagina (P=.33), perineum (P=.56), or voided urine (P=.28). The change in Lactobacillus levels in the bladder was associated with modest changes in urgency incontinence symptoms (P=.02). The relative abundance of the genus Corynebacterium correlated positively with urinary antimicrobial peptide activity after estrogen treatment. CONCLUSION: Estrogen therapy may change the microbiome of different pelvic floor niches. The vagina begins to decrease in diversity, and the bladder experiences a significant increase in Lactobacillus levels; the latter is correlated with a modest improvement in the symptom severity subscale of the Overactive Bladder questionnaire.

Bladder bacterial diversity differs in continent and incontinent women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Since the discovery of the bladder microbiome (urobiome), interest has grown in learning whether urobiome characteristics have a role in clinical phenotyping and provide opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches for women with common forms of urinary incontinence. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the bladder urobiome differs among women in the control cohort and women affected by urinary incontinence by assessing associations between urinary incontinence status and the cultured urobiome. STUDY DESIGN: With institutional review board oversight, urine specimens from 309 adult women were collected through transurethral catheterization. These women were categorized into 3 cohorts (continent control, stress urinary incontinence [SUI], and urgency urinary incontinence [UUI]) based on their responses to the validated Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI) questionnaire. Among 309 women, 150 were in the continent control cohort, 50 were in the SUI cohort, and 109 were in the UUI cohort. Symptom severity was assessed by subscale scoring with the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI), subscale of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. Microbes were assessed by expanded quantitative urine culture protocol, which detects the most common bladder microbes (bacteria and yeast). Microbes were identified to the species level by matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Alpha diversity indices were calculated for culture-positive samples and compared across the 3 cohorts. The correlations of UDI scores, alpha diversity indices, and species abundance were estimated. RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 53 years (range 22-90); most were whites (65%). Women with urinary incontinence were slightly older (control, 47; SUI, 54; UUI, 61). By design, UDI symptom scores differed (control, 8.43 [10.1]; SUI, 97.95 [55.36]; UUI, 93.71 [49.12]; P<.001). Among 309 participants, 216 (70%) had expanded quantitative urine culture-detected bacteria; furthermore, the urinary incontinence cohorts had a higher detection frequency than the control cohort (control, 57%; SUI, 86%; UUI, 81%; P<.001). In addition, the most frequently detected species among the cohorts were as follows: continent control, Lactobacillus iners (12.7%), Streptococcus anginosus (12.7%), L crispatus (10.7%), and L gasseri (10%); SUI, S anginosus (26%), L iners (18%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (18%), and L jensenii (16%); and UUI, S anginosus (30.3%), L gasseri (22%), Aerococcus urinae (18.3%), and Gardnerella vaginalis (17.4%). However, only Actinotignum schaalii (formerly Actinobaculum schaalii), A urinae, A sanguinicola, and Corynebacterium lipophile group were found at significantly higher mean abundances in 1 of the urinary incontinence cohorts when compared with the control cohort (Wilcoxon rank sum test; P<.02), and no individual genus differed significantly between the 2 urinary incontinence cohorts. Both urinary incontinence cohorts had increased alpha diversity similar to continent control cohort with indices of species richness, but not evenness, strongly associated with urinary incontinence. CONCLUSION: In adult women, the composition of the culturable bladder urobiome is associated with urinary incontinence, regardless of common incontinence subtype. Detection of more unique living microbes was associated with worsening incontinence symptom severity. Culturable species richness was significantly greater in the urinary incontinence cohorts than in the continent control cohort.