The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) hosted the Capitol Hill briefing, The Bladder Matters: What Women Need to Know on Thursday, July 15, which highlighted startling statistics and an insightful patient perspective. Featuring noted researchers, physicians, Hill staff, and a UI-afflicted patient, the aim of this widely attended briefing was to detail current research on urinary incontinence (UI) and present future outlooks.
Urological expert Janice Lee Arnold, M.D., a board-certified urologist with over 20 years of practice in the DC area, outlined the struggles that patients with UI and overactive bladder (OAB) face. OAB is defined as the urgency to urinate eight or more times per day and two or more times each night (nocturia) and is overwhelmingly found in women. Patients with OAB deal with many anxieties that worsen their symptoms: potential for embarrassment, limited travel options, distant or lost relationships, etc.
"Women suffering from OAB should seek treatment immediately because of the impact on overall quality of life, high risk for depression, and poorer quality of sleep," said Dr. Arnold.
Robert Star, M.D., Director, Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) shared new research on OAB and potential treatments. These novel treatment options include a newly funded urinary leakage detection system, a continuous drug delivery device to minimize the potential for accidents, and a Trojan Horse Drug Delivery system for bladder issues without the risk of systemic toxicity.
"Research into women's OAB issues is a largely ignored topic and one that affects many women worldwide," said Phyllis Greenberger, M.S.W., President and CEO of SWHR. "And this is why SWHR fiercely supports increased funding for innovative research into the pervasive diseases UI and OAB."