The aim of this study is to identify the symptoms and clinical manifestations of overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome in women, identify symptoms associated with the age of patients and the presence of concomitant diseases.

A survey of 347 women with symptoms of the OAB syndrome in different age groups between 18 and 81 years old was conducted. The average age of patients was 53.5 ± 0.7 years. OAB syndrome was diagnosed according to the criteria defined by the International Continence Society (ICS). All patients before inclusion in the study conducted a comprehensive urological examination to exclude any other diseases, except for the OAB syndrome, which could affect the function of the lower urinary tract. The severity of symptoms of OAB syndrome was assessed according to the urination diaries, which the patients had been filling in for 3 days.

The study results showed that in the overwhelming number of women, the OAB syndrome could be considered an acquired disease. Only 33 (9.5%) women had symptoms of OAB syndrome since childhood. The average age of onset of symptoms of OAB syndrome was 47.1 ± 0.9 years. The peak incidence of OAB syndrome occurred in the age period from 40 to 49 years.
Clinical manifestations of OAB syndrome are increased urinary frequency, urgency with or without urgency incontinence. When interviewing women with OAB syndrome, many of them noted that the strong urgency, in some patients leading to urinary retention, could be triggered by certain actions of the patient himself or some external factors. Most often, patients indicated the appearance of urgency when cooling the body, for example, when leaving a warm room and go out into the cold (57%). Then, in order of decreasing frequency of responses, followed the sound of running water (41%), the approach to the house, or any actions related to it, for example, taking an elevator (29%), emotional stress (18%). When analyzing the data of urination diaries, it was found that the severity of most symptoms of the OAB syndrome is closely related to the age of women. Positive correlation with age was traced for the frequency of nocturia (r = 0.19; p = 0.001), the frequency of urgency (r = 0.17; p = 0.003) and the frequency of urgency urinary incontinence (r = 0.21; p < 0,001). A significant effect on the severity of the symptoms of the OAB syndrome in women had an impaired bowel function. This is evidenced by a statistically significant correlation between the presence of constipation and the urgency (r = 0.29; p = 0.002) and urgency incontinence (r = 0.18; p = 0.049). The analysis of the relationship of the frequency of the main symptoms of the OAB syndrome with the most significant factors in the history of women was conducted. The results of this analysis did not reveal reliable relationship between the severity of the symptoms of the OAB syndrome and the number of pregnancies and deliveries, the presence of any gynecological diseases, in particular, uterine fibroids, and surgical interventions on the pelvic organs.

The study on the relationship between the main symptoms of the OAB syndrome in women was conducted. Of all the symptoms, only for the urgency, a reliable positive correlation with the severity of the other two symptoms was revealed, while the correlation between the frequency of urination and the frequency of urinary urgency incontinence was not revealed. Thus, the analysis of the links between the symptoms of OAB syndrome in women led to the conclusion that the urgency is a kind of “binding” symptom of the OAB syndrome, which allows us to distinguish them as the most important clinical manifestations of OAB syndrome.

The severity of the symptoms of the OAB syndrome in women is associated with the age of the patients and the state of bowel function. Among the main symptoms of the OAB syndrome are urgency, the severity of which is determined by the intensity of the other two main symptoms of the OAB syndrome – increased daytime urinary frequency and urgency urinary incontinence.