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Constipation and risk of urinary incontinence in women: a meta-analysis

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

Constipation is reported to be associated with urinary incontinence. However, the reported results have been inconsistent and contradictory. To evaluate the association between constipation and urinary incontinence in women, we performed a meta-analysis.

Methods

A comprehensive search based on PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library was performed up to July 2018 for eligible studies in relation to the influence of constipation on urinary incontinence in women. A random-effect model was used to calculate the pooled odds risk (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 16 observational studies with 35,629 participants and 6054 urinary incontinence patients were identified in the meta-analysis. Constipation was significantly associated with the risk of urinary incontinence in women (OR 2.46, 95% CI 1.79–3.38).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggests that constipation is significantly associated with urinary incontinence risk in women. However, further well-designed, large-scale prospective studies are needed to clarify the causality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Zhongshan Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 2 East Sunwen Road, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China

    Wen-Qing Lian, Fa-Jiang Li, Hong-Xing Huang & Yi-Qun Zheng

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medical, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    Liang-Hua Chen

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  1. Wen-Qing Lian
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Correspondence to Wen-Qing Lian.

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Lian, WQ., Li, FJ., Huang, HX. et al. Constipation and risk of urinary incontinence in women: a meta-analysis. Int Urogynecol J 30, 1629–1634 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-019-03941-w

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