Cross-Sectional Epidemiological Analysis of the Nagahama Study for Correlates of Overactive Bladder: Genetic and Environmental Considerations

Abstract

Purpose: The prevalence of overactive bladder is increasing globally. It has a substantial impact on quality of life and represents a heavy economic burden. We evaluated the prevalence of overactive bladder in a Japanese population and analyzed whether genetic and environmental factors influence overactive bladder.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was performed as part of the Nagahama cohort project. It comprised a questionnaire survey as well as anthropometric, physiological and biochemical measures, and genomic information on participants 30 to 74 years old in Nagahama, Japan. A genome-wide association study was performed in 4,645 participants, including 1,521 men and 3,124 women, using 99,059 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was done to analyze environmental factors associated with overactive bladder.

Results: The prevalence of overactive bladder was 11.8%, including 15.3% in men and 10.1% in women, and it increased with age. We found no significant association between overactive bladder and any single nucleotide polymorphism in the genome-wide association study. However, in the multivariable logistic regression model overactive bladder was positively associated with environmental factors, including age, depression and the consumption of cake or Japanese confection.

Conclusions: The prevalence of overactive bladder was greater in men than in women, especially among the elderly. Environmental factors rather than genetic variants more likely contribute to overactive bladder.

Keywords: Japan; environment; genome-wide association study; overactive; sex; urinary bladder.