The association between diabetes mellitus and lower urinary tract dysfunctions in women assisted in a reference service

PURPOSE: to describe lower urinary tract dysfunctions and clinical demographic characteristics of patients with urinary symptoms. This study assessed the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and urodynamic changes in these women. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study on 578 women. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and urodynamic diagnoses was assessed in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunctions, with their respective 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence ratios of urodynamic alterations were calculated according to the diabetes mellitus diagnoses. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients (13.3%) had diabetes and type 2 diabetes was predominant (96.1%). Stress urinary incontinence was the most frequent urodynamic diagnosis (39%) in diabetic patients, followed by detrusor overactivity (23.4%). The prevalence of urodynamic alterations was associated with diabetes (PR= 1.31; 95% CI= 1.17-1.48). Changes in detrusor contractility (over-or underactivity) were diagnosed in 42.8% diabetic patients and in 31.5% non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic women had a greater prevalence of urodynamic alterations than the non-diabetic ones. There was no association between diabetes mellitus and detrusor contractility alterations (p= 0.80).