Current Trends in Lower Urinary Tract HealthHighlights From Annual Advances in Genitourinary Health:A Scientific Update

摘要

Significant progress has been made in recent years in the understanding and management of lower genitourinary tract disorders. Such advances pertain to common voiding disorders as well as to sexual function disorders occurring in both men and women. OAB has received considerable clinical and academic attention in recent years, which has led to a better understanding of the condition. One of the more significant developments has been the revised definition of OAB of the International Continence Society, characterizing it primarily by its symptom of urinary urgency. Patients with OAB may or may not experience UI, but the majority experience micturition frequency and noc-turia. Regardless of whether incontinence is present, OAB has the potential to significantly impair quality of life in an individual. Embarrassment leads many patients to avoid social interaction, and the common misconception that UI is an unavoidable part of the aging process prevents many from seeking treatment. Sexual dysfunctions in men and women have come to light as major quality of life issues but also as public health concerns. Sexual dysfunction may have both physical and emotional causes, which may coexist in the same patient and, like UI, it is frequently an embarrassing condition for patients to address, both with their physician and their partner.