Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Is Associated with Overactive Bladder and Urgency Incontinence in Men

Study Objective: To investigate the incidence of overactive bladder (OAB) and urgency incontinence (UI) in men with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Design: Prospective questionnaire study Setting: Saarland University Hospital Patients: All male patients who underwent full-night in-laboratory polysomnography between November 2006 and April 2007. Interventions: Overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire, Short-Form (ICIQ-SF). Measurements and Results: OSAS severity was assessed according to the apnea-hypopnea-index (AHI). Return rate of questionnaires was 100% (n = 100). Patients with upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) served as controls. Evaluation of OABSS revealed that patients with moderate and severe OSAS presented with a significantly higher incidence of symptoms of OAB than patients with mild OSAS and LIARS (P < 0.05). Further, the ICIQ-SF revealed a higher occurrence of UI in patients with severe OSAS than in those with mild OSAS and LIARS (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Increasing severity of OSAS appears to be associated with an increasing occurrence of overactive bladder and urgency incontinence in men. This relationship may have clinical implications for the treatment of affected patients.