Abstract
Overactive bladder (OAB) is described as urinary urgency, with or without urge incontinence, and is usually associated with urinary frequency and nocturia. We conducted an investigation of OAB in patients with collagen disease. Two hundred sixty-eight cases were available for the analysis: 235 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA group) and 33 without RA (non-RA group). At least one of four OAB symptoms (urinary urgency, daytime urinary frequency, nocturia, and urge incontinence) was observed in 86% of the 268 patients. A significantly higher frequency of daytime urination (≥15 times/day) was observed in the non-RA group than in the RA group (p＜0.01), and a significantly higher frequency (≥3 times/day) of nocturia was observed in the RA group than in the non-RA group (p＜0.05). Thirty percent of the patients had urinary urgency, and 18% of the patients had urge incontinence. On the basis of the OAB symptom score, 39 (15%) of the 268 patients had OAB. Of these 39 patients, 8 were taking an over-the-counter drugs, and 34% desired treatment for OAB. Rheumatologists should be aware that some patients withcollagen disease have OAB symptoms, and these patients should be treated accordingly to improve their quality of life.
