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Pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary incontinence in hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

Hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) could increase muscle mass and thereby pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength, reducing the risk of urinary incontinence (UI). The aim of the present study was to assess PFM strength and UI among hyperandrogenic women with PCOS and a control group for comparison.

Methods

This is an observational, cross-sectional, case–control study. Seventy-nine women, aged 18 to 40 years with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.4 kg/cm2 were recruited at the University Hospital: PCOS (n = 36) and control group for comparison (n = 43). All PCOS women had clinical and/or laboratory hyperandrogenism (> 80 ng/dL) and control women had regular menstrual cycles. PFM strength was assessed by vaginal manometry. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire of Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) was used to assess UI. Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analyses.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in mean PFM strength between the PCOS and the control group: 2.7 cm H2O (95 % CI −6.2–11.6) p = 0.55. The prevalence of UI was 18.6 % in the control group compared with 0 % in the PCOS group p < 0.01.

Conclusions

Women with PCOS showed absence of UI, but PFM strength did not differ from the control group.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Foundation for the Support of Research of São Paulo State (FAPESP) and from the Foundation for the support of Teaching, Research and Service (FAEPA) of the Clinics Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of Sao Paulo.

Funding

Foundation for the Support of Research of São Paulo State (FAPESP) and from the Foundation for the support of Teaching, Research and Service (FAEPA) of the Clinics Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of the University of Sao Paulo.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Performance, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900 Monte Alegre, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Flávia Ignácio Antônio & Cristine Homsi Jorge Ferreira

  2. Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway

    Kari Bo

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Rui Alberto Ferriani, Marcos Felipe Silva de Sá & Ana Carolina Japur de Sá Rosa e Silva

Authors
  1. Flávia Ignácio Antônio
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  2. Kari Bo
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  3. Rui Alberto Ferriani
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  4. Marcos Felipe Silva de Sá
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  5. Ana Carolina Japur de Sá Rosa e Silva
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  6. Cristine Homsi Jorge Ferreira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cristine Homsi Jorge Ferreira.

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Brief summary

Pelvic floor muscle strength did not differ between the groups, but women with polycystic ovary syndrome showed absence of urinary incontinence

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Antônio, F.I., Bo, K., Ferriani, R.A. et al. Pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary incontinence in hyperandrogenic women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Int Urogynecol J 24, 1709–1714 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-013-2095-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-013-2095-x

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