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From Relationships to Working Lives: New Global Survey Reveals the True Impact and Emotional Burden of SUI Symptoms on Women

Indianapolis and Ingelheim, Germany (ots/PRNewswire)

Your
mother, your friend, your sister - chances are one of these three
women have suffered from the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence
(SUI), but she has been too embarrassed to admit it.
This is just one of the staggering facts revealed by a worldwide
consumer survey, announced today, into the scale and emotional impact
of SUI on women's lives.(1)
The survey paints an alarming picture. One in five SUI sufferers
is so worried about accidental leaks that she spends as much as a
third of her waking hours every day thinking about her embarrassing
symptoms. That's five hours -- enough time for an average walker to
walk 15 miles (24 kilometers) or to fly from London to Egypt or
Mexico to San Francisco.
Women surveyed say that SUI is more difficult to talk about than
heavy menstrual periods, menopause or depression. Many women admit
they are too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms with a family
member or friend. If they talk at all, they prefer to talk to health
professionals.
The global survey also reveals that when asked "have you ever
accidentally leaked urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh, lift or
exercise?," one in three women has experienced symptoms of SUI, yet
more than half say they've never heard of the medical condition:
stress urinary incontinence.
Described as "one of the last medical taboos" by the World Health
Organization,(2) SUI is preventing millions of women from living
their lives to the fullest. In fact, SUI is dictating their lives --
at home, professionally, socially and emotionally. In particular,
women say they are concerned about odour and are reluctant to visit
unfamiliar places: a trip to the new shopping mall is definitely off
limits. Holidays are something most people look forward to, but for
these women they are something they dread.
Women also worry about leaks while going to work or collecting
their children from school. Most are reluctant to exercise, are
scared they might leak while having a laugh with friends and are
concerned about SUI's effect on dating and romantic relationships.
While many of these women use sanitary pads to absorb the leaks, the
pads make them feel uncomfortable. Their condition even affects the
choice of clothes they wear -- choosing dark clothes to better hide
the leaks.
SUI is the accidental leakage of urine during physical activities
-- such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, lifting or exercise.(3,4) It
is the most common form of urinary incontinence in women.
The survey was conducted by NOP World (National Opinion Polls) and
was supported by the International Continence Society Continence
Promotion Committee (ICS - CPC) and the World Federation of
Incontinence Patients (WFIP). NOP World interviewed more than 3,000
women in Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Sweden and the UK to find out
what women know about urinary incontinence (UI) -- particularly SUI
-- and to discover how these conditions affect their lives. The
survey was funded by Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Announcing the results, Diane Newman, the ICS Continence Promotion
Committee chair, says: "This survey confirms that healthcare
professionals need to be taking SUI seriously: not only treating
those women who present to us, but also encouraging the millions of
women who are suffering from the symptoms of SUI to talk to their
healthcare professional and receive effective treatment. There are
now many options available to help, including effective medication
and exercises, which means that these women no longer have to worry
and suffer in silence."
Commenting on the results of the survey, Carol, a SUI sufferer in
the UK and mother of three says: "It will be a big comfort for women
with SUI who are suffering in silence, to know that they are not
alone. Like these women, I saw that SUI had a huge impact on my life,
affecting what I wore, going out with my friends and exercising. I
thought that nothing could be done, but found the courage to go to my
doctor who gave me advice and a medication called Yentreve(R) that
has really helped. Now I feel as though I'm in control of my SUI
rather than my SUI controlling me."
NOTES TO EDITORS
SUI and Its Symptoms
SUI symptoms are defined as the accidental leakage of urine during
physical activities such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, lifting or
exercising, and affect the social and emotional well-being of up to
65 million women worldwide.(2) With nearly twice the prevalence of
urge incontinence, SUI is the most common form of urinary
incontinence in women causing embarrassment, social isolation and a
reduction in quality of life. Despite being bothered by their
symptoms, women often do not seek appropriate medical attention
because they are embarrassed or mistakenly believe SUI symptoms are a
normal part of aging. Several risk factors or contributing variables
have been suggested for the development of SUI symptoms and include
childbirth, obesity, pelvic organ prolapse or chronic coughing.(5)
Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim
In November 2002, Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim
signed a long-term agreement to jointly develop and commercialize
duloxetine hydrochloride. Duloxetine is currently being marketed for
the treatment of depression, stress urinary incontinence and diabetic
peripheral neuropathic pain. This partnership covers most countries
worldwide with few exceptions. In the USA, the collaboration excludes
neuroscience indications.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a
growing portfolio of best-in-class pharmaceutical products by
applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and
from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers --
through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most
urgent medical needs.
About Boehringer Ingelheim
The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it
operates globally with 144 affiliates in 45 countries and more than
36,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned
company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing
and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and
veterinary medicine.
In 2004, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 8.2 billion euro
while spending nearly one fifth of net sales in its largest business
segment Prescription Medicines, on research and development.
For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
References
(1) NOP World 2005. SUI International Omnibus Survey
(2) Voelker R. International group seeks to dispel incontinence
"taboo". JAMA 1998;280(11):951-953
(3) Abrams P, Cardozo L, Fall M, et al. The standardisation of
terminology of lower urinary tract function: report from the
standardisation sub-committee of the International Continence
Society. Neurourol Urodyn 2002;21(2):167-78
(4) Fultz NH, Burgio K, Diokno AC, et al. Burden of stress urinary
incontinence for community-dwelling women. Am J Obstet Gynecol
2003;189:1275-82
(5) Viktrup L. Female stress and urge incontinence in family
practice: insight into the lower urinary tract. Int J Clin Prac
2003;56(9):694-700
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO
           http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040122/BILOGO )

Contact:

Christine Van Marter of Eli Lilly and Company, Tel: +1-317-655-2249;
or Julia Meyer-Kleinmann of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Tel:
+49-6132-77-82-71 / NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about the
survey, please contact: Rebecca Moan of Shire Health International,
Tel: +44-207-108-6514 / Photo: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO ;
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040122/BILOGO ; PRN Photo Desk,
photodesk@prnewswire.com

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