SEX HORMONES LEVELS IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE
Objective: to study the levels of sex hormones in postmenopausal women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to identify the relationship of these indicators with the severity of incontinence clinical manifestations and patient’s quality of life. Material and methods. A total of 150 postmenopausal women with SUI were examined. The control group consisted of 57 relatively healthy women of the same age. All patients were examined for serum levels of sex hormones (estradiol, free estriol, free testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone). The severity of individual clinical manifestations of urinary incontinence and their impact on the quality of patient’s life were assessed on the basis of data from The Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form (OAB-q SF) and The Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q). Results. Studies have not established differences in serum levels of sex hormones (estradiol, free estriol, free testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone) in postmenopausal women depending on the presence of SUI symptoms (p > 0.05). Single negative correlations (p < 0.05) were found between the severity of individual clinical manifestations of SUI in postmenopausal women and the levels of estradiol (1 association) and progesterone (1 association). No correlations were found between the levels of sex hormones and the scoring of patient’s quality of life (the sum of points according to OAB-q). Conclusions. The data obtained indicate the need for further research on the role of sex hormones in postmenopausal women in the development of SUI symptoms.