THURSDAY, March 26, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For adults aged 20 to 69 years, overactive bladder (OAB) is associated with an increased risk for a recent fall, according to a study published online March 19 in Neurourology and Urodynamics.
Brian J. Linder, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues performed a cross-sectional analysis of adults aged 20 to 69 years from the 2021 to 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the association between OAB and fall history. OAB was classified using a composite symptom severity score assessing urge urinary incontinence and nocturia.
The researchers found that the population-weighted prevalence of OAB was 19.6 percent among 4,118 participants, and the prevalence of a recent fall was 28.3 percent. Those with OAB had a higher prevalence of a recent fall (39.7 versus 25.7 percent). There was a progressive increase in the prevalence of a recent fall with OAB symptom severity (24.3 percent in those with no symptoms versus 52.4 percent in those with severe symptoms). OAB was independently associated with increased odds of experiencing a recent fall in the fully adjusted model controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates (adjusted odds ratio, 1.42).
"OAB is independently associated with an increased risk of a recent fall in U.S. adults aged 20 to 69 years, with a strong positive relationship between OAB severity and fall risk," the authors write. "These findings suggest that screening for OAB may be a useful adjunct to fall risk assessment."
Several authors disclosed ties to Boston Scientific, which funded the study.