Drinking Coffee Linked to Male Urinary Incontinence

A new study reveals that men who consume two cups of coffee a day are significantly more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence (UI) than those who drink less (or none at all).

Researchers at the University of Alabama (Birmingham, USA) reviewed data on UI from male US National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2005–06 and 2007–08 participants. UI was defined using a standard questionnaire with incontinence severity index (ISI) scores categorized as moderate-severe. Structured dietary recall was used to determine caffeine consumption (mg/day), water intake (gm/day), and total dietary moisture (gm/day). The researchers then assessed the association between caffeine intake at or above the 75th and 90th percentiles and having moderate-severe UI, controlling for potential confounders, UI risk factors, and prostate conditions in men 40 years of age and older.

The results showed that among the 3,960 of 5,297 (75%) men with complete data, the prevalence of any UI was 12.9%, and moderate-severe UI was 4.4%; mean caffeine intake was 169mg/day. The association of caffeine intake to moderate-severe UI at the upper 75th and 90th percentiles was significant (1.72, and 2.08, respectively). After adjusting for prostate conditions, the effect size for the association between caffeine intake and moderate-severe UI remained the same. The study was published early on January 2, 2013, in the Journal of Urology.

“Caffeine consumption equivalent to approximately 2 cups of coffee per day (250 mg) is significantly associated with moderate-severe UI in US men,” concluded senior author Prof. Alayne Markland, DO, MSc, and colleagues of the division of general medicine and geriatrics. “People who are having problems with urinary incontinence should modify their caffeine intake, and I think that's part of clinical practice.”

UI, also known as enuresis or a “leaky bladder” is any involuntary leakage of urine which may have a profound impact on quality of life, with the most common types being stress UI and urge UI. Stress UI is more common in women, caused by pelvic support structures (including the urethra) as a result of childbirth, and is characterized by leakage of small amounts of urine with activities that increase abdominal pressure such as coughing, sneezing, and lifting. Urge UI is caused by uninhibited contractions of the detrusor muscle, and is characterized by leaking of large amounts of urine and insufficient warning to get to the bathroom in time.

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