Impact of symptom improvement on patients' bother and quality of life in female patients with overactive bladder treated by solifenacin (SET-Q).

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relationship between symptom improvement and health-related quality of life in female overactive bladder patients treated with solifenacin.

METHODS: We carried out a prospective, multicenter, open-label study. Eligible patients were treatment-naive female patients with overactive bladder, with an urgency episode at least once a week. Symptoms were quantitatively assessed by the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, and quality of life by the Overactive Bladder questionnaire. Changes of symptom severity, bother, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks after treatment with solifenacin 5, 7.5 or 10 mg once daily.

RESULTS: Data from 523 patients (mean age 66 years) were analyzed. Solifenacin significantly improved the total Overactive Bladder Symptom Score and also all subscores for the four symptoms (daytime frequency, urgency, night-time frequency and urgency incontinence). Solifenacin also significantly improved the four quality of life subscales, total quality of life and symptom bother scores of the Overactive Bladder questionnaire. The severity of night-time frequency at baseline positively affected the improvement in the quality of life subscale of Sleep, and the severity of daytime frequency at baseline positively affected the improvement of coping and social interaction. Improvement of severity in various symptoms positively affected the improvement of bother and the quality of life subscales.

CONCLUSIONS: Solifenacin provides an overall improvement of bother and quality of life in female overactive bladder patients. Symptom severity before treatment and improvement of symptom severity seem to variably affect this improvement.