Anticholinergic overactive bladder (OAB) medications have been studied in large observational studies to determine if they are associated with a greater risk of mortality (potentially because of their effects on the heart or the brain). Studies in different populations of old adults have shown that oxybutynin is associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality of 26-58% in comparison to other OAB anticholinergic medications or β3 agonists. In general, anticholinergic OAB medications may increase the risk of mortality, and a single multicountry study showed that β3 agonist users had a 20% lower risk of mortality compared to OAB anticholinergic users. PATIENT SUMMARY: Older adults who started using a traditional type of medication for overactive bladder (oxybutynin) had a higher risk of dying compared to people who used newer types of anticholinergic medications and to people who used overactive bladder medications that work in a different way.
European urology focus. 2022 Aug 17 [Epub ahead of print]
Blayne Welk
Department of Surgery and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: .