Current and future trends in the management of overactive bladder

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is a common problem which increases in prevalence in association with advancing age and has a significant adverse effect upon well-being and quality of life. It is not the “benign” condition that many take it for. Overactive bladder (frequency–urgency syndrome) is the commonest bladder problem in late life, affecting up to 41% of over-75-year-old individuals, and the elderly experience more severe disease. This small series should provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the current thinking in the assessment and management of patients with overactive bladder syndrome, explores the history of the condition and current approaches to its medical and surgical management and explores where management may change in more complex populations. The current state and future developments in pharmacological therapy are also outlined.