Evaluation of Urine Choline Levels in Women With and Without Overactive Bladder Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine whether levels of choline (Ch) differ in women with and without overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.

METHODS: New patients were evaluated using the overactive bladder symptom score; Medical, Epidemiologic, and Social Aspects of Aging (MESA) urgency incontinence questionnaire; and Impact Questionnaire 7 and provided a urine sample. Patients were stratified into asymptomatic controls, scoring 0 on overactive bladder symptom score and the MESA questionnaire, and patients with OAB and urgency incontinence (OAB-wet). Patients with conditions predisposing to OAB or had a history of OAB treatment were excluded. Choline detection was accomplished using a commercially available kit. Wilcoxon rank sum test and Fisher exact test were used to express differences between groups. Spearman ρ correlation was used to determine the relationship between Ch and questionnaire scores. Logistic regression was used to identify significant variables associated with OAB.

RESULTS: Sixty-three women were included in the final analysis. Patients with OAB-wet were older (P = 0.001), more likely to be obese (P = 0.04), had greater apical descent (P = 0.02), were more likely to be postmenopausal (P = 0.01), and were more likely to have stress incontinence (P = 0.005). Choline was 34.8% lower in OAB compared with the controls (P = 0.014). Lower Ch levels were associated with higher MESA (Spearman ρ = -0.311, P = 0.03). After logistic regression, lower Ch (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-0.98), age (aOR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.08-1.18), and body mass index (aOR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18) were significantly associated with OAB-wet.

CONCLUSIONS: Choline levels are significantly decreased in women complaining of OAB with urgency incontinence, and lower levels are associated with higher MESA scores.