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Review
. 2024 Jul;25(7):141-148.
doi: 10.1007/s11934-024-01205-9. Epub 2024 May 10.

Pharmacotherapy in Stress Urinary Incontinence; A Literature Review

Seyed Sajjad Tabei  1 , Wesley Baas  1 , Ayman Mahdy  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Pharmacotherapy in Stress Urinary Incontinence; A Literature Review

Seyed Sajjad Tabei et al. Curr Urol Rep. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a commonly observed condition in females, as well as in males who have undergone prostatectomy. Despite the significant progress made in surgical techniques, pharmacotherapy has not yielded substantial outcomes within the clinical domain. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of the existing pharmacotherapy options for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and the emerging therapeutic targets in this field.

Recent findings: One meta-analysis demonstrated that α-adrenergic medications are more efficacious in improving rather than curing SUI symptoms. One trial showed reduced pad weight gain with PSD-503, a locally administered α-adrenergic receptor agonist. New data show that duloxetine's risk outweighs its benefits. One small-scale trial was found to support the use of locally administered estriol in improving subjective outcomes. Emerging targets include serotonin 5HT2C agonists, selective inhibitors of norepinephrine uptake, and myostatin inhibitors. Only one of the evaluated drugs, duloxetine, has been approved by some countries. Currently, trials are evaluating novel targets. Systemic adverse effects such as gastrointestinal upset with duloxetine and orthostatic hypotension with α-adrenoceptor agonists have hampered the efficacy of drugs used to treat SUI in women and men.

Keywords: Drug therapy; Duloxetine; Pharmacotherapy; Stress urinary incontinence; Urinary incontinence; Urinary incontinence, stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Voluntary and involuntary control of the urethra. The inhibitory role of the central control mechanisms has been outlined—illustration created in Biorender.com
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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