Losing Weight May Help Diabetic Patients with Leaky Bladders
The Journal of Urology has recently published a new study which concludes that diabetic women may be able to cut their risk of urine leakage by losing weight. The study was overseen by Suzanne Phelan, Associate Professor of Research at California Polytechnic State University.
Abdominal Fat and Urinary Incontinence
Women with high levels of body fat around their stomach are at a greater risk of experiencing urinary incontinence. Also, persons with Type 2 diabetes are at high risk of developing urine leakage, even if they maintain a healthy weight. Therefore, it stood to reason that overweight women with Type 2 diabetes would reduce their likelihood of developing incontinence by reducing their weight.
However, Phelan’s study was the first to actually investigate the issue. According to their findings, women who lost 17 pounds or more would decrease the risk of developing urinary incontinence. The women who lost weight were only 10.5 percent likely to develop urinary incontinence problems, whereas 14 percent of women who did not make lifestyle changes were at risk of developing the same problems.
Weight Loss and Incontinence
The study found a roughly linear relationship between weight loss and the risk of developing incontinence. For every two pounds they lost, the women in the study were able to reduce their risk of developing leakage problems with three percent.
Although these results should be encouraging to many diabetic patients in the process of losing weight, the study found losing weight may not help people who are already suffering from bladder leakage problems. Phelan and her colleagues were at a loss to explain why weight loss was able to help patients prevent bladder leakage but not treat it.
[box type=”info”]Dr. Phelan stated that there are already a number of reasons patients should consider losing weight and controlling a leaky bladder shouldn’t be their foremost concern. She stated that patients should also be cognizant of the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease and control other symptoms from diabetes.[/box]
