Lower urinary tract symptoms in diabetic women with and without urinary incontinence

Determination of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in diabetic women with and without urinary incontinence (UI) and its related factors is significant to define essential measures associated with prevention. The aim of this study is to compare the features of diabetes mellitus (DM) in diabetic women with and without UI, and to investigate LUTS and its related factors. Applying to the Diabetes Department of Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University (IMFIU) between May and December 2011, 77 diabetic women with the complaint of UI and 88 diabetic continent women were enrolled into the descriptive study. Data were collected via a questionnaire defining socio-demographic and clinical features, and The Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS-SF) after obtaining an approval from the ethical board of the institution. It was found that diabetic continent women and those with UI showed no statistically significant difference regarding age, BMI and duration of DM (p>0·05). Among women with UI, levels of fasting blood glucose and HbA1c were significantly higher (p<0·05). The total BFLUTS-SF and subscale scores of women with UI were significantly higher than continent women (p<0·05). A significant correlation was determined between total BFLUTS-SF score, and fasting blood glucose (r=0·185), BMI (r=0·192), HbA1c (r=0·245), complaint of vaginal itching (r=0·629) and exposure to frequent vaginal infections (r=0·701; p<0·05). It was found that increased HbA1c was effective on total BFLUTS-SF. Consequently, diabetic women with UI show high rates of fasting blood glucose and HbA1c, compared to diabetic women without UI. Therefore, diabetic women should meticulously be followed and evaluated in terms of LUTS by health care professionals. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.