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. 2024 May 16;24(1):290.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-03103-1.

The impact of pharmacotherapy on sexual function in female patients being treated for idiopathic overactive bladder: a systematic review

Christopher Neal Bruce Evans  1 , Anja Badenhorst  2 , Frans Jacob Van Wijk  3
Affiliations

The impact of pharmacotherapy on sexual function in female patients being treated for idiopathic overactive bladder: a systematic review

Christopher Neal Bruce Evans et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition defined by urgency with or without incontinence which disproportionately affects female patients and has a negative impact on sexual enjoyment and avoidance behaviour. Pharmacotherapy can be considered one of the main options for treating OAB. This research set out to determine the impact of pharmacotherapy on sexual function in females with OAB.

Methods: This research used the robust methodology of a systematic review. The clinical question was formulated using the PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcomes) format to include females being treated with pharmacotherapy (anticholinergics or beta-3 adrenergic agonists) for idiopathic OAB with the use of a validated questionnaire assessing self-reported sexual function at baseline and post-treatment. The review incorporated the MEDLINE, PubMed and EMBASE databases. The AMSTAR 2 (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews) appraisal tool was used to guide the review process. Two reviewers worked independently in screening abstracts, deciding on the inclusion of full-texts, data extraction and risk of bias assessment.

Results: In female patients with OAB, pharmacotherapy does seem to offer at least partial improvement in self-reported sexual function outcomes after 12 weeks of therapy. Still, the value of this finding is limited by an overall poor quality of evidence. Patients with a higher degree of bother at baseline stand to benefit the most from treatment when an improvement within this health-related quality of life domain is sought.

Conclusion: This research should form the basis for a well-conducted randomized controlled study to accurately assess sexual function improvements in females being treated with pharmacotherapy for OAB.

Keywords: Female; Overactive bladder; Sexual function.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors of this research declare that no grant from private, public, or not-for-profit sectors was provided. No author has a conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prisma (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) study flow diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Break down of included studies
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot of impact of interventions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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