Hyperactive bladder: concept of disease and paradigms in the treatment

Abstract

World studies have shown that the mean prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) ranges today from 11 to 16% of the global population and is common in both men and women. In addition, OAB is a diagnosis by exclusion. The article discusses two large groups of the causes of pathology: neurological and non-neurological. The former includes various diseases and conditions that lead to a complex abnormality in the urinary mechanism, namely, involuntary detrusor contractions and increased intravesical pressure. Spinal trauma, brain strokes and spinal strokes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, etc. are the most common of them. Unidentified factors constitute the second group of causes resulting in urgent frequent urination, and what is meant here is idiopathic detrusor hyperactivity (IDH). In this case, a patient may have these symptoms amidst full health without any neurological history. According to the available current guidelines, the treatment of OAB includes a three-step algorithm and suggests lifestyle changes, drug therapy and, finally, minimally invasive methods of treatment. Historically, M-anticholinergics are the main drugs for the treatment of OAD symptoms. However, administration of drugs from this group may often be impossible due to prominent side effects, which are more commonly reported among elderly patients. Unlike M-anticholinergics, Mirabegron is the only β3-adrenergic receptor agonist today that has shown a high efficacy and safety profile based on the results of large-scale placebo-controlled clinical trials.