Irina Kuzina

Cognitive functions and health-related quality of life in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia and symptoms of overactive bladder when treated with a combination of tamsulosin and solifenacin in a higher dosage

Abstract Aim: To study the cognitive functions and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals taking a combination of tamsulosin and solifenacin in a higher dosage. Methods: All patients (n = 262) were assigned to group A (N = 93, tamsulosin 0.4 mg + solifenacin 10 mg per day), group B (N = 83, tamsulosin 0.4 mg + solifenacin 20 mg), and control group C (N = 86; tamsulosin 0.4 mg + placebo). The lower urinary tract (LUT) condition was assessed on the scales International Prostate Symptom Score, Over Active Bladder Awareness Tool and uroflowmetry. The state of cognitive status was assessed on the scales Mini-mental State Examination, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Wechsler III, Color Trails Test, California Verbal Learning Test. Results: The values of cognitive function indicators in the individuals from all groups after treatment did not significantly differ from the respective values at the baseline (p > .05). The values of most HRQoL parameters of the functional state of the LUT significantly improved in groups A and B. A significant correlation between the state of cognitive status and HRQoL, as well as LUT was absent (r <0.3). Conclusion: The combination of solifenacin in a double dosage along with tamsulosin can be recommended for elderly benign prostatic hyperplasia patients with overactive bladder symptoms.

Health-related quality of life's dependence on socio-economic status and demographic characteristics among men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

This study investigated the effect of socio‐economic status (SES) on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The data were collected by way of surveying persons with BPH aged from 35 to 85 (937) and selected via random sample. The diagnosis was confirmed with the use of I‐PSS questionnaires (8–19 points), OABq‐AT (≥8 points) and daily urinations. A study on HRQoL was conducted using the SF‐36 questionnaire. SES was evaluated using the patients’ ambulance cards (F112U) and tax inspection documents with their written permission. Verification of the viability of the differences in the HRQoL level of patients with different SES was conducted in each age cohort using ANOVA. The goal of the multifactor regressive analysis using least weighted squares was identified as featuring the strongest relationships between SES and HRQoL. In comparing the average regression squares with average error squares, selection of the entry variables was conducted. Among persons with a BPH, the strongest relationship was discovered between profession, level of education, place of residence and HRQoL. A weaker relationship was identified between income and HRQoL, and there was no relationship between marital status and HRQoL. HRQoL among persons with a different level of SES figures aged 65+ proved homogeneous. We can expect HRQoL improvement among persons with BPH while increasing informedness on the possibilities for treating and improving help for workers of industrial and rural production residing in rural areas.

The effective tool for self-assessment of adherence to treatment in patients with benign prostatic obstruction and overactive bladder symptoms

Abstract Purpose: Study of validity of the Medication Adherence Self-Report Inventory (MASRI) for use in clinical practice to treat patients with benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) accompanied with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. Methods: During 12 weeks of the randomized study, 452 patients with BPO and OAB symptoms (mean age of 61.3 (12.7)) were studied for adherence to the treatment with Tamsulosin, Solifenacin and Trospium using the MASRI. External monitoring instruments included the Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ) and the visual remaining pill count. The state of the prostate gland and the lower urinary tract was monitored using questionnaires I-PSS, OAB Awareness Tool, uroflowmetry and voiding diaries. Result: Correlation between the percentage of men non-adherent to treatment (MASRI) and the percentage of patients having a belief barrier on the screen of the BMQ was r = 0.89, p ≤0.05, r = 0.92, p ≤0.01, r = 0.85, p ≤0.05, a number of missed doses on the Regimen Screen of the BMQ was r = 0.79; p ≤0.05; r = 0.81; p ≤0.05; r = 0.75, p ≤0.05, a number of non-adherent patients according to the BMQ was r = 0.83 (p ≤0.05), r = 0.88 (p ≤0.05), r = 0.79, p ≤0.05, the results of the pill count were r = 0.65–0.76; p ≤0.05-0.01. These data confirm high validity of the MASRI. Conclusion: The MASRI is a valid tool for rapid assessment of adherence to treatment of patients with BPO and OAB receiving Tamsulosin and antimuscarinic drugs and may be recommended for use in clinical practice.

Treatment compliance of working persons to high-dose antimuscarinic therapies: a randomized trial

Aim: The aim of this work was to study the factors affecting the stability of working patients in antimuscarinic (AM) drug treatment. Background: The prevalence of urge urinary incontinence (UUI) is an average of between 8.2% and 16.0% of the population. UUI is a condition that adversely affects the health-related quality of life. The first-line therapy in managing UUI is AM treatment. Methods: In 1006 patients between 18 and 60 years old (627 women, 379 men, mean age 69.4) who received AM treatment for one year, the possible demographic, socioeconomic and health factors influencing compliance were studied. Also, the functional state of the lower urinary tract (LUT) was studied in this randomized, prospective survey. The study instruments were the documents of employers, tax offices, outpatient records, OABq-SF (overactive bladder - short form) questionnaires, MOS SF-36 (Medical Outcomes Study short form-36), voiding charts, and uroflowmetry data. Results: The compliance to AM treatment within 6 months was retained in 49.5% patients; during the year, in 32.3% of patients. The average time for reaching the 30-day break in taking trospium was 194 days. In the course of the experiment it was revealed that compliance to AM treatment was significantly higher in patients taking solifenacin and trospium in high dosages (p ⩽ 0.01, p ⩽ 0.05), suffering from severe symptoms of urgency (p ⩽ 0.01), and having a low level of side effects (p ⩽ 0.01). A satisfactory level of compliance is characteristic of patients with a high level of monthly and annual income (p ⩽ 0.01, p ⩽ 0.01), a low percentage of expenses to AM (p ⩽ 0.05), and rarely changing employers (p ⩽ 0.05). In addition, the compliance to treatment is higher in older adults (p ⩽ 0.05), living in the urban district (p ⩽ 0.01), and working in educational (p ⩽ 0.05) and health (p ⩽ 0.01) institutions, having a high level of the indices of Social Functioning (p ⩽ 0.05), Role-Emotional (p ⩽ 0.05), and Mental Health (p ⩽ 0.01). Conclusion: As a result of this study, under the control of the objective functional state of LUT, the influence of various factors on the patients’ stability in the treatment with AM drugs was revealed.

Influence of the Short-term Intake of High Doses of Solifenacin and Trospium on Cognitive Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Women With Urinary Incontinence

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and the effects of elevated doses of solifenacin and trospium on cognitive function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly women receiving treatment for urinary incontinence. Methods The study included 312 women aged 60–83 years (mean age, 69.4 years). All participants had scored at least 24 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale, and all of them had been diagnosed with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) or mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). The women were randomly assigned to 3 groups: group A, individuals who were simultaneously administered solifenacin at a high dosage of 20 mg per day and trospium at a high dosage of 60 mg per day; group B, persons taking solifenacin and trospium at the usual dosage of 10 and 30 mg per day, respectively; and group C, persons who received a placebo. Participants’ cognitive status was assessed by the MMSE, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Wechsler Memory Scale III, Colour Trails Test, and California Verbal Learning Test scales. The HRQoL assessment was performed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Health Survey. Results The cognitive function parameters did not differ at the start and end of the study across the groups (P>0.05). Additionally, the cognitive function parameters did not differ significantly within each group between the start and end of the study (P>0.05). The values of most HRQoL parameters regarding the functional state of the lower urinary tract (LUT) after the termination of treatment significantly improved in groups A and B (P<0.05). A significant correlation between cognitive status and HRQoL or LUT parameters was absent (r<0.3), while the correlations between HRQoL and LUT parameters were r=0.31–0.83, P<0.05. Conclusions The use of elevated doses of solifenacin and trospium did not increase the risk of cognitive impairment in women with UUI and MUI. The combination of solifenacin and trospium at a double dosage may be recommended to elderly women with treatment-resistant symptoms of UUI and MUI. However, the safety of combining antimuscarinic drugs in women with an increased volume of residual urine requires further study.

Socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life among adults and older with overactive bladder

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons with overactive bladder (OAB). DESIGN A randomized HRQoL study was conducted from the year 2014 until the year 2016 based on the OAB pathology department of the regional clinical diagnostics center. SETTING The medical institutions where the study was conducted had outpatient care. PARTICIPANTS The simple response frequency was 81%. A total of 1893 men and women with OAB aged 35-85 (average 58.3 years) were selected by blind random sampling. Included into the group of examined individuals were persons who diagnosis provided after the examination was OAB. INTERVENTION Evaluation of HRQoL was conducted using the SF-6D questionnaire. The OAB diagnosis was confirmed using the OAB-questionnaire and uroflowmetry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We hypothesized that the impact of SES on the HRQoL of patients with OAB has significant features. RESULTS Described for the first time were HRQoL measures in various SES levels within different ages of people suffering from OAB. The strongest relationship was identified between education level, professional activity and HRQoL measures; meanwhile the weakest relationship was between income and HRQoL measures. We also confirmed the efficiency of evaluating HRQoL while using SF-6D and SRH as an external standard. CONCLUSION The improvement of HRQoL in persons with OAB is contingent upon increment in their level of awareness about the methods of OAB treatment and the effectiveness of treatment for severe symptoms of LUT pathology, increased social support and, possibly, physical activity.

Effectiveness of a new tool for self-evaluation of adherence to antimuscarinic drug treatment in older patients of both sexes with urge incontinence

The present study was a comparison of the validity of the Medication Adherence Self‐Report Inventory (MASRI) questionnaire with other methods of assessing adherence to antimuscarinic drugs treatment in older patients with urge incontinence.

Comparison of objective and subjective factors in the adherence to antimuscarinics when treating overactive bladder in employed persons

Background: This study examines subjective reasons for the refusal of treatment and the state of objective status markers of various factors influencing the resistance of patients when treating overactive bladder by antimuscarinic drugs (AMs). Methods: The socioeconomic and medical parameters were studied in 2465 patients aged 18–60 years (1446 women (58.7%), 1019 men (41.3%); mean age was 52.1) taking AMs during the year. The study control was carried out by studying passport data, employers’ income certificates, patients’ ambulatory medical records, the use of OABq-SF and MOS SF-36 questionnaires, voiding diaries and uroflowmetry. Results: The average time to reach the 30-day break in the AM administration was 177 days. During the 12-month follow up, 74.7% of patients discontinued their participation. In total, 35.9% of patients stated medical reasons for the refusal of AM treatment; in 31.9% of individuals in the group the deviation of objective health status markers from average sample values was established. Economic reasons for the refusal were given by 20.4% of patients; in 18.5% of individuals economic status markers were different from average sample values. In 24.1% of cases of refusal of treatment, patients indicated social and psychological reasons; objective social and psychological status markers were altered in 35.9%. Conclusions: The percentage of patients indicating economic and medical reasons for the refusal of AM treatment is statistically uniform with respect to the percentage of patients with objective disturbances of health and economic statuses. The percentage of patients indicating social and psychological factors as a reason for the refusal of treatment was significantly lower than the percentage of patients with altered social and psychological status markers. These results can be used in practical healthcare when predicting adherence to AM use.

Self-assessment of treatment compliance with antimuscarinic drugs and lower urinary tract condition among women with urinary incontinence

AimOur aim was to determine the efficiency of the Medication Compliance Self-Report Inventory (MASRI) in self-reporting antimuscarinic drug treatment compliance among women with urinary incontinence (UI).Materials and methodsThe study assessed 347 women aged 18–65 (averaging 49.7) years with more than one urinary incontinence (UI) episode per day. Treatment compliance was tested at the beginning and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 using the MASRI, the Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ), and visual pill counts. The MASRI’s constructive, concurrent, and discriminate validity was studied in comparison with an external standard that uses the chi-square and Spearman coefficient. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify optimum MASRI cutoffs that would predict noncompliance. Furthermore, the functional condition of the lower urinary tract was tested using voiding diaries, uroflowmetry, and cystometry.ResultThe correlation between the percentage of noncompliant women according to the MASRI, and individuals with a belief barrier with respect to the BMQ screen was r = 0.81 (p ≤0.05), r = 0.84 (p ≤0.05), and r = 0.79 (p ≤0.05). The correlation between the percentage of noncompliant women according to the MASRI and of women who missed >20% of their doses according to the Regimen Screen of the BMQ was r = 0.79, p ≤0.05, r = 0.82, p ≤0.01, r = 0.77, and p ≤0.05 at the control points. Finally, the percentage of noncompliant patients who self-reported correctly according to the MASRI data compared with the BMQ was 95.6%, 95.7%, and 96.6% at the control points.ConclusionThe MASRI entails acceptable validity for accurately predicting treatment compliance with antimuscarinic drugs among women who have had UI for >3 months.

Comprehensive Assessment of Compliance with Antimuscarinic Drug Treatment in the Case of Urge Urinary Incontinence of Older Patients

AIM To investigate the heterogeneous factors affecting the stability of patients older than 60 years in the UI treatment with Antimuscarinics. BACKGROUND The prevalence of Urge Incontinence (UI) in older persons reaches 29.3%. The symptoms of urinary incontinence in older people reduce the health related life quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 1257 patients over 60 years (857 (68.2%) women - average age 67.8, 400 (31.8%) men - 71.4), who received AM for one year, demographic, socio-economic and health parameters were studied. OABq-SF questionnaires, MOS SF-36, urination diaries, uroflowmetry, income information from the tax offices and outpatient records were used. RESULT The compliance to AM treatment within 6 months was retained in 44.2%, and within the year - 26.8% of older patients. At least 40% of the total number of patients refused to continue the treatment for medical reasons. The persons taking Solifenacin (p≤ 0.01), Trospium (p≤ 0.05), or Darifenacin (p≤ 0.05), suffering from severe UI symptoms (p≤ 0.01), and experiencing minor side effects (p≤ 0.01), well-informed about UI treatment methods (p≤ 0.01) prevailed among the treatment compliant patients. At least 20.4% of the patients discontinued their treatment due to economic reasons. The persons with significantly larger annual income (p≤ 0.05) and annual medical cost (p≤ 0.01) prevailed among the treatment compliant patients. About 12.2% of the patients stopped their treatment for reasons related to the social background and psychological status. CONCLUSION In this experiment, we found that AM treatment compliance in older patients, in addition to medical parameters and health conditions, is largely affected by the economic as well as social, demographic and psychological factors. The study results can be claimed by practitioners involved in correcting UI symptoms in older people.