OBESITY AND URINARY INCONTINENCE

Abstract

Urinary incontinence, the involuntary leakage of urine, is oftenunderdiagnosedandundertreated.Urinaryincontinenceaffectsalmost 50% of middle-aged and older women worldwide andaffectsthequalityoflifeseverely.Several risk factors have been attributed to urinary incontinence,obesity is an independent risk factor for stress-related and mixedurinary incontinence and is the most important risk factor for dailyurinaryincontinencecomparedtoanyotherfactor.Incontinence predisposes patients to other health problems, contributes todepression and social isolation, and is a significant source of dependencyamongtheelderly,Studies show that each 5-unit increase in body mass index (BMI) isassociated with a 60 –100% increased risk of daily urinary incontinence.This paper explores the relationship between obesity and urinaryincontinence, emphasizing obesity as an independent risk factor and acriticalcontributortostress-relatedandmixedurinaryincontinence.The review delves into the potential mechanisms linking obesity tourinary incontinence, highlighting the impact of excess body weightonpelvicfloor structures.