An interesting finding of this study was the prevalence of overactive bladder without urinary incontinence, a condition rarely analyzed. It appears less frequently than urinary incontinence, particularly in women, and causes approximately 30% of urinary problems in men but only 10% in women. However, considering the frequencies of overactive bladder without urinary incontinence and urge incontinence, the conditions due to detrusor overactivity likely account for a large proportion of urinary problems.
In conclusion, this study, in a large number of subjects, provided an estimate of the prevalence of overactive bladder and urinary incontinence among people attending their general practitioners in Italy. It also emphasized the importance of detrusor overactivity-related conditions as a cause of urinary problems in this population, in both sexes and all ages.
MEMBERS OF THE GRUPPO INTERDISCIPLINARE DI STUDIO INCONTINENZA URINARIA
Walter Artibani, Cattedra di Urologia, Università di Verona; Francesco Benvenuti, Unità Operativa di Geriatria, Ospedale INRCA c/o Presidio IOT, Firenze; Roberto Carone, Divisione di Urologia, Centro Rieducazionale Funzionale, Torino; Francesco Catanzaro, Divisione di Urologia, Multimedica, Sesto San Giovanni (MI); Claudio Cricelli, SIMG, Firenze; Paolo Di Benedetto, Centro di Riabilitazione, Ospedale Santoro, Trieste; Vincenzo Giambanco, Divisione II di Ostetricia e Ginecologia, Ospedale Civico, Palermo; Gian Battista Massi, Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, Università di Firenze; Rodolfo Milani, Divisione di Ginecologia, Ospedale Bassini, Cinisello Balsamo (MI); and Alberto Zanollo, Divisione di Urologia, Ospedale Civile, Magenta, Milano.