
 
 Prevalence of incontinence among non-institutionalized people aged 65 and over. (Source: National Center for Health Statistics) 
 
 More than half the people aged 65 or more who live outside institutions report episodes of bladder or bowel incontinence, with women plagued considerably more than men, according to a large government report released Wednesday that highlights the surprising prevalence of the debilitating condition. 
 
 Twelve percent of women who suffer from urinary incontinence had severe or very severe forms of the condition, while the rest of the women and virtually all the men surveyed reported slight or moderate incontinence on a scale used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, taken from 2007 to 2010. 
 
 The study, released by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the first to pull together data on incontinence among people living in their homes, in nursing homes, in residential care facilities and in hospices, as well as people who receive health assistance in their homes. Because different definitions of incontinence were used for the various populations, the researchers could not compare the results against each other. 
 
 "The purpose was to show...the prevalence and the magnitude of the issue," said Yelena Gorina, of the agency's Office of Analysis and Epidemiology. "Because it's a very serious issue, a very debilitating issue." 
 
 Benjamin Brucker, an assistant professor of urology at the NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, said he hopes a major study that shows how common incontinence is will encourage people to overcome the shame and embarrassment of the condition. "A lot of people that...have incontinence are afraid or fearful or not willing to bring it up to their doctor, and not willing to bring it up to their family members," Brucker said. 
 
 The report said that the cost of incontinence to individuals was estimated at $19.5 billion in 2000, half to three quarters of it for purchases related to routine care, such as "absorbent pads, protection and laundry." 
 
 Results varied considerably for people in institutions, from the 39 percent in residential care facilities who reported an episode of bladder or bowel incontinence during the seven days before they were interviewed to the 75.8 percent of long-term nursing home residents who could not completely control bladder or bowel function in the 14 days prior to their survey. 
 
 Brucker said incontinence has become more prevalent as the U.S. population has aged. Causes include loss of muscular control after childbirth and declining estrogen levels after menopause in women, as well as medications and other disorders, such as diabetes, that can contribute to incontinence in both men and women. 
 
 The good news, Brucker said, is the increasing number of treatments for various forms of incontinence. They include muscle exercises; changes to diet and fluid consumption; medications and surgery. 
 
 "Certainly when we talk about cost-effectiveness, it may be as simple as a pill a day or a simple behavioral change that can reduce the number of pads people are using," he said. ||||| By Steven Reinberg 
 
 HealthDay Reporter 
 
 WEDNESDAY, June 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than 50 percent of older Americans struggle with incontinence, a new government report released Wednesday shows. 
 
 "We found that half the population experienced urinary leakage or accidental bowel leakage, and about 25 percent had moderate, severe or very severe urinary leakage. And about 8 percent had moderate, severe or very severe bowel leakage," said lead researcher Yelena Gorina, a statistician at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. 
 
 One expert noted that the impact of incontinence is significant. 
 
 "Bladder and bowel incontinence is a highly prevalent disease that has emotional, health, social and economic impacts in the daily life of our elderly population in the U.S.," said Dr. Farzeen Firoozi, a urologist at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y. 
 
 Incontinence occurs when muscles are too weak or too active. If the muscles are weak, patients may have accidents. If muscles become too active, there may be a strong urge to go to the bathroom. There are other causes of incontinence, such as prostate problems and nerve damage. 
 
 Treatment depends on the type of problem and may include simple exercises, medicines, special devices or procedures or surgery. 
 
 Dr. Tomas Griebling, a professor of urology at the University of Kansas and a spokesman for the American Urology Association, said incontinence increases with age. 
 
 However, "incontinence should really not be considered either a normal or inevitable part of aging," he added. 
 
 Griebling noted that although the percentage of adults with incontinence has remained the same, as the population ages there will be more people with the problem. 
 
 According to the report, nearly 51 percent of people aged 65 and older living at home reported bladder and/or bowel incontinence. Bladder incontinence was reported by just under 44 percent and bowel incontinence by just over 17 percent. 
 
 About 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men said they suffered from bladder incontinence. White women were almost twice as likely to have bladder incontinence compared with black women, the researchers noted.
– If you're over the age of 65 and grappling with incontinence, the government has some potentially reassuring news for you: You're basically normal. A report released yesterday by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics tracks "the prevalence and the magnitude" of bladder and bowel incontinence and finds nearly 51% all US seniors who live at home suffer from it. Some 44% reported urinary leakage, and 17% bowel leakage (some people experience both); 25% have moderate, severe, or very severe urinary cases, HealthDay News reports. Women are much more likely to suffer from it, due to loss of muscle control following childbirth and declining estrogen levels after menopause. In men, incontinence can be caused by prostate problems or nerve damage. The report also gathered data on incontinence among nursing home, residential care, and hospice facility residents (though it notes that different definitions of incontinence were used for the various populations). Nearly 76% percent of long-term nursing home residents couldn't completely control bladder or bowel function 14 days prior to the survey, the Washington Post adds. Experts hope the study will diminish the stigma attached to discussing the problem, which can be treated with diet, drugs, and surgery. HealthDay shares some costs associated with the condition: In 2010, bowel incontinence sufferers spent an estimated $4,100 apiece dealing with their issue. (Another possible factor? Spanx.)