NCT06958042

The Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Individuals With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Investigation of the Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and the Level of Knowledge About Pelvic Floor Health in Individuals With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Kutahya Health Sciences University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 40 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease characterized by airflow limitations and respiratory symptoms due to structural changes in the airways. Common symptoms include dyspnea, chronic cough, and increased sputum production. Respiratory diseases are a risk factor for lower urinary tract symptoms, which can lead to leakage if pelvic floor muscles are weak. Lower urinary tract symptoms are classified into storage, emptying, and post-emptying groups. Current literature on urinary incontinence in COPD patients is limited, and there is a need for further research on the presence and effects of lower urinary system symptoms in individuals with COPD and the level of pelvic floor health knowledge.

Detailed description

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is defined as a chronic lung disease characterized by progressive airflow limitation and chronic respiratory symptoms due to structural changes in the airways. Dyspnea (shortness of breath), chronic cough, and increased sputum production are the most common symptoms in individuals with COPD. Respiratory diseases are considered a risk factor for lower urinary tract symptoms due to cough and shortness of breath. Severe coughing and shortness of breath increase intra-abdominal pressure and stress on the bladder. These conditions can lead to leakage if the pelvic floor muscles are weak. In addition, regular coughing can further weaken the ligaments in the pelvic floor, causing symptoms. Lower urinary tract symptoms is a general term covering various functional disorders of the bladder, pelvic floor, or specific pathologies. The International Continence Society classifies lower urinary tract symptoms in three main groups: storage (increased/decreased urination, urinary incontinence, nocturia, overactive bladder), emptying (delayed urination, painful urination, intermittent urination), and post-emptying (feeling of not being able to empty the bladder completely, repeated urge to urinate, urinary tract infections). When the current literature was examined, it was observed that there are studies on the presence of urinary incontinence in patients with chronic respiratory disease, but there are limited studies investigating the presence and effects of lower urinary system symptoms in individuals with COPD in general and investigating the level of pelvic floor health knowledge. In this context, our study is unique and may contribute to future rehabilitation studies in this field.

Conditions

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Questionnaire and Physical Exam	\- St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ): The SGRQ developed by Jones (2000), which is used specifically for respiratory diseases, consists of 50 questions. In the questionnaire, there are three categories in which symptom, activity and the effect of the disease on quality of life are questioned and each category is evaluated within itself and there is an evaluation scale between 0-100 points. In the evaluation, high scores indicate an inadequate and low quality of life.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-01-06
• Primary completion: 2026-01-06
• Completion: 2026-01-06
• First posted: 2025-05-06
• Last updated: 2025-09-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)