Metabolic syndrome in women with and without stress urinary incontinence

Introduction Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a disease of multifactorial etiology characterized by increased waist circumference, elevated triglyceride levels, decreased HDL cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and hyperglycemia. The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of MS in patients with and without stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods The components of MS were evaluated in 85 women with SUI seen at the Urogynecology and Vaginal Surgery Sector of the Gynecology Department of Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM) and in 108 women without SUI seen at the General Gynecology Clinic of the Gynecology Department of UNIFESP-EPM. Results The MS diagnosis was more prevalent in patients with SUI, with the frequency according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria being 69.4% in the case group with SUI and 38% in the control group, whereas according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III recommendations, MS was frequent in 64.7% of the cases and 25% of the controls. Each MS component was evaluated, and the body mass index, weight and waist circumference were significantly higher in the case group (with SUI) compared with the control group (p < 0.001). The women in the case group showed an average HDL cholesterol value statistically lower and triglyceride and glycemia values statistically higher than the women in the control group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005). Conclusion MS frequency was higher in patients with SUI, which shows a possible association between these two conditions.