Pelvic floor dysfunction in midlife women

Abstract

Pelvic floor dysfunction in women includes urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. In midlife, genitourinary atrophy is commonly associated with these conditions and can practically be considered part of the overall condition. The pelvic floor tissues share a common hormone responsiveness and as such respond collectively to midlife estrogen loss. This review article summarizes the expected consequences of menopause and aging on pelvic floor function and discusses how estrogen deprivation might lead to structural and/or functional failure. A framework for the initial evaluation of pelvic function in midlife women is presented, highlighting the importance of assessing the impact of incontinence, prolapse, and genitourinary atrophy on quality of life.

摘要

女性的盆底功能障碍包括有尿失禁和盆底器官脱垂。在中年女性中, 泌尿生殖道萎缩一般与这些症状相关, 也可以认为是盆底器官脱垂整体症状中的一部分。盆底组织也对激素有反应, 并且中年后激素的丢失也会影响盆底组织的功能。这篇综述总结了一下年龄的增加及绝经后盆底功能的变化, 并且讨论了雌激素的减少会导致盆底组织结构和/或功能的障碍。提出了一个初步评估中年女性盆底功能的框架, 强调了评估尿失禁、脱垂和泌尿生殖系统萎缩对生活质量影响的重要性。

Keywords:

• Urinary incontinence
• pelvic organ prolapse
• menopause
• estrogen
• aging

Potential conflict of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

Nil.