Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation on urinary incontinence: scoping review

  • Review Article
  • Published:
International Urogynecology Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

Vitamin D receptors are found in skeletal and smooth muscle cells throughout the body, specifically in the bladder detrusor muscle. We reviewed the current literature on the association between vitamin D deficiency and urinary incontinence (UI), and whether vitamin D supplementation plays a role in the treatment of UI symptoms.

Methods

We performed a scoping review of all available studies. PubMed, Google Scholar, and PEDro databases were searched from inception until August 2020 with the keywords “urinary incontinence,” “pelvic floor disorders,” “lower urinary tract symptoms,” “overactive bladder,” and various terms for vitamin D. No language restrictions were imposed. The reference lists of all retrieved articles were also searched.

Results

The search revealed 12 studies of different research methodologies after elimination. In 6 out of the 7 cross-sectional studies reviewed, a significant association between vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency and the onset and severity of UI was found. In 2 out of the 3 prospective studies included, no association between vitamin D intake and UI was found; however, both randomized controlled trials that were reviewed found that vitamin D supplementation is effective for the treatment of UI.

Conclusions

The existing literature supports an association between low levels of serum vitamin D and UI. Initial evidence regarding the effect of vitamin D supplementation on UI is accumulating, yet additional, comprehensive research is warranted to establish these findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

IU:

International units

LUTS:

Lower urinary tract symptoms

NHS:

Nurses' Health Study

OAB:

Overactive bladder

PFDs:

Pelvic floor disorders

RCT:

Randomized control trial

RIA:

Radioimmunoassay

UI :

Urinary incontinence

25(OH)D:

Serum vitamin D

References

  1. Buckley BS, Lapitan MCM. Prevalence of urinary incontinence in men, women, and children—current evidence: findings of the Fourth International Consultation on Incontinence. Urology 2010;76(2):265–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Jackson SL, Scholes D, Boyko EJ, Abraham L, Fihn SD. Urinary incontinence and diabetes in postmenopausal women. Diabetes Care 2005;28(7):1730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Aune D, Mahamat-Saleh Y, Norat T, Riboli E. Body mass index, abdominal fatness, weight gain and the risk of urinary incontinence: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BJOG. 2019;126(12):1424–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Farage MA, Miller KW, Berardesca E, Maibach HI. Psychosocial and societal burden of incontinence in the aged population: a review. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2008;277(4):285–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Coyne KS, Wein A, Nicholson S, Kvasz M, Chen C-I, Milsom I. Economic burden of urgency urinary incontinence in the United States: a systematic review. J Manag Care Pharm. 2014;20(2):130–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Bikle DD. Vitamin D metabolism, mechanism of action, and clinical applications. Chem Biol. 2014;21(3):319–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Norman AW. From vitamin D to hormone D: fundamentals of the vitamin D endocrine system essential for good health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88(2):491s–9s.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Holick MF. Vitamin D status: measurement, interpretation, and clinical application. Ann Epidemiol. 2019;19(2):73–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Girgis CM, Clifton-Bligh RJ, Hamrick MW, Holick MF, Gunton JE. The roles of vitamin D in skeletal muscle: form, function, and metabolism. Endocr Rev. 2013;34(1):33–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Morelli A, Squecco R, Failli P, et al. The vitamin D receptor agonist elocalcitol upregulates L-type calcium channel activity in human and rat bladder. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2008;294(5):C1206–C14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Aspell N, Laird E, Healy M, Lawlor B, O'Sullivan M. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired muscle strength and physical performance in community-dwelling older adults: findings from the English Longitudinal Study Of Ageing. Clin Interv Aging. 2019;14:1751–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Beaudart C, Buckinx F, Rabenda V, et al. The effects of vitamin D on skeletal muscle strength, muscle mass, and muscle power: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;99(11):4336–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Garcia M, Seelaender M, Sotiropoulos A, Coletti D, Lancha AH Jr. Vitamin D, muscle recovery, sarcopenia, cachexia, and muscle atrophy. Nutrition. 2019;60:66–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Tomlinson PB., Joseph C, Angioi M. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on upper and lower body muscle strength levels in healthy individuals. A systematic review with meta-analysis. J Sci Med Sport. 2015;18(5):575–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Salman S, Khouzami M, Harb M, Saleh B, Boushnak MO, Moussa MK, Mohsen ZH. Prevalence and predictors of vitamin D inadequacy: a sample of 2,547 patients in a Mediterranean country. Cureus. 2021;13(5):e14881.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Gannagé-Yared MH, Chemali R, Yaacoub N, Halaby G. Hypovitaminosis D in a sunny country: relation to lifestyle and bone markers. J Bone Miner Res. 2000;15(9):1856–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Gannagé-Yared MH, Maalouf G, Khalife S, et al. Prevalence and predictors of vitamin D inadequacy amongst Lebanese osteoporotic women. Br J Nutr. 2009;101(4):487–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Lips P, Hosking D, Lippuner K, et al. The prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy amongst women with osteoporosis: an international epidemiological investigation. J Intern Med. 2006;260(3):245–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. El-Hajj Fuleihan G, Nabulsi M, Choucair M, et al. Hypovitaminosis D in healthy schoolchildren. Pediatrics. 2001;107(4):E53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Vaughan CP, Johnson TM 2nd, Goode PS, Redden DT, Burgio KL, Markland AD. Vitamin D and lower urinary tract symptoms among US men: results from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Urology. 2011;78(6):1292–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Badalian SS., Rosenbaum PF. Vitamin D and pelvic floor disorders in women: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Obstet Gynecol. 2010;115(4):795–803.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lee HS, Lee JH. Vitamin D and urinary incontinence among Korean women: a propensity score-matched analysis from the 2008–2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Korean Med Sci. 2017;32(4):661–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Li D, Xu Y, Nie Q, Li Y, Mao G. Predictors of urinary incontinence between abdominal obesity and non-obese male adults. Postgrad Med. 2017;129(7):747–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Stafne SN, Mørkved S, Gustafsson MK, et al. Vitamin D and stress urinary incontinence in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study. BJOG. 2020;127(13):1704–11.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Vaughan CP, Tangpricha V, Motahar-Ford N, et al. Vitamin D and incident urinary incontinence in older adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016;70(9):987–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Parker-Autry CY, Markland AD, Ballard AC, Downs-Gunn D, Richter HE. Vitamin D status in women with pelvic floor disorder symptoms. Int Urogynecol J. 2012;23(12):1699–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Dallosso HM, McGrother CW, Matthews RJ, Donaldson MMK, Leicestershire MRC Incontinence Study Group. Nutrient composition of the diet and the development of overactive bladder: a longitudinal study in women. Neurourol Urodyn. 2004;23(3):204–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Vaughan CP, Markland AD, Huang AJ, Tangpricha V, Grodstein F. Vitamin D intake and progression of urinary incontinence in women. Urology 2021;150:213–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Markland AD, Vaughan C, Huang A, Tangpricha V, Grodstein F, et al. Vitamin D intake and the 10-year risk of urgency urinary incontinence in women. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2020;199:105601.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Digesu GA, Verdi E, Cardozo L, Olivieri L, Khullar V, Colli E. Phase IIb, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to determine effects of elocalcitol in women with overactive bladder and idiopathic detrusor overactivity. Urology. 2012;80(1):48–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Oberg J, Verelst M, Jorde R, Cashman K, Grimnes G. High dose vitamin D may improve lower urinary tract symptoms in post-menopausal women. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2017;173:28–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Linde JM, Nijman RJM, Trzpis M, Broens PMA. Urinary incontinence in the Netherlands: prevalence and associated risk factors in adults. Neurourol Urodyn. 2017;36(6):1519–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Schröder A, Colli E, Maggi M, Andersson K-E. Effects of a vitamin D3 analogue in a rat model of bladder outlet obstruction. BJU Int. 2006;98(3):637–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Shapiro B, Redman TL, Zvara P. Effects of vitamin D analog on bladder function and sensory signaling in animal models of cystitis. Urology. 2013;81(2):466.e1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Tripkovic L, Lambert H, Hart K, et al. Comparison of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplementation in raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95(6):1357–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Saraff V, Shaw N. Sunshine and vitamin D. Arch Dis Child. 2016;101(2):190–2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Ronnie Baer, Lea Tene & Leonid Kalichman

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel

    Adi Y. Weintraub

Authors
  1. Ronnie Baer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lea Tene
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adi Y. Weintraub
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Leonid Kalichman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

R. Baer: article conception and design, data collection, draft manuscript preparation;L. Kalichman: article conception and design, critical revising of the manuscript, project supervision;A.Y. Weintraub: draft manuscript preparation, critical revising of the manuscript;L. Tene: article conception and design, critical revising of the manuscript, project advising. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lea Tene.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

None.

Ethics approval

Ethical review board approval was not needed.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Baer, R., Tene, L., Weintraub, A.Y. et al. The effect of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation on urinary incontinence: scoping review. Int Urogynecol J 33, 1083–1090 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-021-04963-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-021-04963-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation