In a nutshell
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mirabegron in patients aged 65 years or older with overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence. This study found that mirabegron improved the symptoms in these patients.
Some background
Overactive bladder (OAB) occurs when the bladder muscle is too active. Instead of staying at rest as urine fills the bladder, the bladder contracts. This causes a person to feel a sudden and sometimes overwhelming urge to urinate even when the bladder is not full. Some patients with OAB also experience urinary incontinence (UI; involuntary urine leakage).
Treatments for OAB can include mirabegron (Myrbetriq). However, most studies include young and otherwise healthy patients. It is unclear how effective mirabegron is for people aged 65 and older.
Methods & findings
This study included 888 patients with OAB and UI. All patients had a placebo for the first two weeks. Then 445 patients received mirabegron and the others remained on placebo for twelve weeks. All patients monitored how often they urinated. They also filled in questionnaires on their quality of life.
Patients on mirabegron had less urination and UI episodes as compared to placebo. Significantly more patients in the mirabegron group had a 50% decrease in UI episodes and normalization of urination compared to the placebo group.
Side effects were similar between groups. The most common side effects in the mirabegron group were urinary tract infection, headache, and diarrhea.
The bottom line
This study found that mirabegron improved the symptoms of overactive bladder and incontinence compared with placebo in patients aged 65 or older.
Published By :
European Urology
Date :
Nov 13, 2019
