Association between sarcopenia and incidence of urinary incontinence in women aged 60 years and older: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Diana Díaz, Aline de Souza, Andrew Steptoe, Tiago da Silva Alexandre, Paula C Ramirez, Cesar de Oliveira
Purpose:

To determine the association between sarcopenia and incidence of UI in women aged 60 and older participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).

Methods:

An 8-year longitudinal study involving 1,575 women aged 60 and above enrolled in ELSA. Sarcopenia was defined following the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) consensus, classifying participants as non-sarcopenic, probable sarcopenic, sarcopenic, and severely sarcopenic. UI was assessed using the question "During the past 12 months, have you had any uncontrolled loss of urine?" from the ELSA questionnaire. A multivariable Poisson regression model was employed to estimate the association between sarcopenia and the incidence of UI.

Results:

The risk of UI was significantly higher in sarcopenic and severely sarcopenic women compared to non-sarcopenic ones (IRR 1.44; 95% CI: 1.01 – 2.05), (IRR 1.45; 95% CI: 1.03 – 2.05), respectively. The association was not found for probable sarcopenic women (IRR 1.10; 95% CI: 0.89 – 1.34). 

Conclusion(s):

Both sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia increase the risk of UI in women aged 60 and older. Therefore, it is essential to implement preventive measures and clinical actions to mitigate this risk. Future randomized clinical trials could be conducted to evaluate the effect of reducing sarcopenia on the incidence of urinary incontinence in women over 60 years old.

Implications:

This study provides evidence of the association between sarcopenia and an increased risk of UI after 8 years of follow-up in women over 60 years old. Interventions aimed at preventing and treating sarcopenia could be a key strategy to reduce the incidence of UI and improve the quality of life of older women.

Funding acknowledgements:
Economic and Social Research Council; National Institute on Aging and a consortium of Governmental Departments UK; CNPq; FAPESP and CAPES.
Keywords:
sarcopenia
older women
urinary incontinence
Primary topic:
Women's health
Second topic:
Older people
Third topic:
Pelvic, sexual and reproductive health
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
ELSA Study received approval from the London Multicentre Research and Ethics Committee. All participants signed a statement of informed consent.
Provide the ethics approval number:
(MREC 01/2/91)
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
No

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