Urinary Disorders and Sexual Dysfunction in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background This study evaluated the prevalence and symptoms of sexual and urinary disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis.Methods:MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ProQuest, and Science Direct were searched to find the articles published during 2000-2018.The quality of the selected studies was determined based on STROBE checklist. Moreover,I(2)and Cochrane Q-test were used to determine heterogeneity. Also, fixed effects and/or random effects models were applied to estimate pooled prevalence. The effects of variables were then assessed through subgroup analysis and meta-regression.Results:The pooled prevalence of sexual and urinary disorders was 52.2% (95% CI [44.2-60.1]) and 49.5% (95% CI [25.3-73.8]), respectively. Notably, the pooled prevalence of sexual disorders was found to be 47.1% (95% CI [36.0-58.3]) in women and 48.4% (95% CI [37.8-59.0]) in men.Conclusion:Supportive measures, counseling, and education, should be incorporated into the routine healthcare programs for patients with MS