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Tolterodine Treats Overactive Bladder in Sexually-Active Postmenopausal Woman: Presented at NAMS

By Carole Bullock

DALLAS, TX -- October 9, 2007 -- Treatment with extended release tolterodine (TER) reduced urgency and urinary incontinence in sexually active postmenopausal women who had overactive bladders, investigators reported here at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) 18th annual meeting.

The study was presented on October 5 by Gloria Bachmann, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Tolterodine is in a class of medications called antimuscarinics. It works by preventing bladder contraction, which results in less frequent urination.

"The aim of the study was to evaluate the drug's efficacy on the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) using bladder diaries," Dr. Backmann said. "Our results show that TER is an efficacious treatment option for OAB symptoms in postmenopausal, sexually active women."

In the 12-week randomized study, 411 women, of whom 51 % (211) were postmenopausal with overactive bladders, received TER (4 mg QD) or placebo (PBO).

To be included in the study, women had to have 8 or more micturitions, a mean of at least 0.6 urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) episodes, and 3 or more urgency-related (ie, OAB) micturitions per 24 h for 3 mo or longer and had to have been in a sexually active relationship for at least 6 mo.

All diary bladder variables except UUI episodes per 24 h (primary endpoint) were lower in postmenopausal subjects in the intent-to-treat population.

Diary data were analyzed using an ANCOVA. One outlier was excluded based on the UUI endpoint after statistical and clinical evaluation.

After 12 weeks, the 24-hour pad used dropped to 1.6 for the TOL-ER versus 1.0 for the placebo group. Total number of micturitions per 24 h in the TOL-ER group dropped to 3.3 vs 1.4 for placebo; the number of OAB micturitions per 24 h were reduced by 4.7 in the TOL versus 1.8 for placebo.

"Our study shows that TER is an efficacious treatment option for overactive bladder symptoms in postmenopausal, sexually active women," Dr. Bachmann concluded.

[Presentation title: Efficacy of Tolterodine Extended Release for Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Sexually Active Postmenopausal Women. Abstract S-8.]

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