Prevalence of common comorbidities among urogynaecological patients

Abstract

Objectives: Due to prolonged life expectancy, regardless of the fact that elderly women are more likely to suffer from comorbidities, urogynaecologists worldwide should expect a growing demand for counseling and effective treatment for patients with pelvic floor defects. The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of popular comorbidities among urogynaecological patients.

Material and methods: The retrospective analysis included clinical data of 4,065 consecutive female patients who under­went surgical treatment in the 2nd Department of Gynaecology at the Medical University of Lublin due to urogynaecological disorders between January 2005 and December 2014. Patients were divided into two groups (< 65 years and ≥ 65 years). The vast majority of patients affected by stress urinary incontinence were treated with mid-urethral slings. Most of patients affected by pelvic organ prolapse underwent reconstructive vaginal surgery with reinforcement using anterior and/or pos­terior meshes. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA 10.0 PL (unpaired Student t-test, U Mann Whitney, χ2 test).

Results: In both study groups, overweight and obesity were the most common disorders affecting urogynaecological patients (72.6% overall). Furthermore, the elderly patients suffered more often from the most common comorbidities, such as hypertension (p < 0.01), coronary artery disease (p < 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.005).

Conclusions: Common comorbidities such as overweight and obesity, followed by hypertension and coronary heart diseases, are usual among urogynaecological patients. Changes in lifestyle leading to a decrease in obesity should be considered as an important line treatment when counselling urogynaecological patients.