Urinary Incontinence – a New Weapon

Urinary incontinence – leaking or dribbling urine – is a distressing problem that’s twice as common in women as in men. It’s more likely when they are overweight, or have had several children. Now it’s been found that diet and exercise (aimed at losing weight) significantly lower the odds of urinary incontinence in women at risk of type 2 diabetes. Excess weight, especially in or around the abdomen, can lead to raised intra-abdominal pressure and raised pressure in the bladder, promoting incontinence.

Studies have reported that as many as 40% of middle-aged women leak urine when exercising. But in the present study, exercising more didn’t lead to more leakage. In fact, the loss of weight achieved resulted in less incontinence. Maybe the presence of incontinence will prove to be a strong motivator for women at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.