Effect of Hyaluronic Acid Oral Supplementation on Sexual and Urinary Symptoms of Women With Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Abstract
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common bacterial infections globally, causing a significant proportion of medical consultations in primary and outpatient settings. Recurrent UTI (rUTI) have a detrimental impact on the patient's quality of life, causing a negative effect on women's social relationships, self-esteem, as well as irritability and tiredness. Moreover, several real-life studies have shown that reproductive-aged women with rUTI more frequently experience sexual dysfunction as compared to controls without infections. The glycosaminoglycan layer of the bladder urothelium, mainly composed by chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA), provides a protective barrier against the penetration of bacteria. A deficiency of this layer facilitates bacterial adherence, leading to recurrent infection. Treatment to restore this layer with intravesical instillation of HA has been proven to reduce the incidence of rUTI episodes. Furthermore, intravesical instillation with HA has been associates with sexual function improvement in women with rUTI and painful bladder . Therefore, in conditions where the glycosaminoglycan layer of the bladder is impaired, such as rUTIs, treatment with HA to restore it appears to have a beneficial effect on urinary and sexual symptoms.
Recently, a randomized control trial has demonstrated that an oral formulation of HA, CS, quercetin and curcumin was effective in improving urinary symptoms in women undergoing…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 50 participants or records.
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