Hampel C, Wienhold D, Benken N, Eggersmann C, Thüroff J W
Department of Urology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Medical School, Mainz, Germany.
Urology. 1997 Dec;50(6A Suppl):4-14; discussion 15-7. doi: 10.1016/s0090-4295(97)00578-5.
To review the definition of the overactive bladder and to summarize the results of epidemiologic studies on this specific disorder as well as urinary incontinence (UI) in general.
From a literature search covering the time period from 1954 through 1995, 48 epidemiologic studies and several other publications dealing with the prevalence and natural history of UI were reviewed. A meta-analysis of reported data was performed with respect to incontinence definitions, investigation methods, home country of survey, sex, and age groups.
Differences in definitions of incontinence, target populations, and study design in different investigations resulted in inhomogeneity and difficulties of comparing the available data. By grouping the studies with respect to similarities in the above-mentioned criteria and analyzing the results for each group of studies, an attempt was made to understand the great variation of reported results. Differences in prevalence of incontinence were identified for all examined groups of studies and for distinct ethnic populations. Scarce information about incidence, spontaneous remission rates, and risk factors was used to elucidate the natural history of UI in women and men.
Although generally accepted definitions of the overactive bladder specifically and UI in general are highly desirable, they have not yet been established. Such definitions should comprise aspects of severity and demonstrability of the condition, bother factor, and impact on quality of life. Moreover, basic requirements for epidemiologic surveys of incontinence, such as validation of questionnaire results, need to be defined and standardized to create a sensible basis for useful epidemiologic studies in the future.
回顾膀胱过度活动症的定义，并总结关于这一特定病症以及总体尿失禁（UI）的流行病学研究结果。
通过文献检索，涵盖1954年至1995年期间，对48项流行病学研究以及其他若干涉及尿失禁患病率和自然史的出版物进行了综述。针对失禁定义、调查方法、调查所在国家、性别和年龄组对报告数据进行了荟萃分析。
不同调查中失禁定义、目标人群和研究设计的差异导致数据的不均匀性以及比较现有数据的困难。通过根据上述标准的相似性对研究进行分组，并分析每组研究的结果，试图理解报告结果的巨大差异。在所有检查的研究组以及不同种族人群中都发现了失禁患病率的差异。关于发病率、自发缓解率和危险因素的信息稀缺，用于阐明男性和女性尿失禁的自然史。
尽管非常需要膀胱过度活动症特别是总体尿失禁的普遍接受的定义，但尚未确立。此类定义应包括病情的严重程度和可证明性、困扰因素以及对生活质量的影响等方面。此外，需要定义和标准化尿失禁流行病学调查的基本要求，如问卷结果的验证，以便为未来有用的流行病学研究创造合理的基础。
