Sex steroid levels change markedly during menopause, and oestrogen deficiency after menopause causes changes within the urogenital tract. A new study found significantly lower levels of oestrogen in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence compared with those without symptoms.

The study included 47 women with stress urinary incontinence who were matched with 47 controls. The findings suggest that low levels of circulating sex steroids might have a negative impact on the function of the lower urinary tract and on mechanisms involved with continence.
The study is published in BJU International.

Source: Wiley

Full bibliographic information:
Role of serum steroid hormones in women with stress urinary incontinence: a case–control study. BJU International.