Associations Between Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Symptom Flares, Illness Impact, and Health Care Seeking Activity: Findings from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Symptom Patterns Study

Siobhan Sutcliffe; Craig Newcomb; Catherine S Bradley; J Quentin Clemens; Bradley Erickson; Priyanka Gupta; H Henry Lai; Bruce Naliboff; Eric Strachan; Alisa Stephens-Shields

doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000003155

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Associations Between Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Symptom Flares, Illness Impact, and Health Care Seeking Activity: Findings from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Symptom Patterns Study

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Associations Between Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Symptom Flares, Illness Impact, and Health Care Seeking Activity: Findings from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Symptom Patterns Study

Siobhan Sutcliffe, Craig Newcomb, Catherine S Bradley, J Quentin Clemens, Bradley Erickson, Priyanka Gupta, H Henry Lai, Bruce Naliboff, Eric Strachan and Alisa Stephens-Shields

The Journal of urology, Vol.209(4), pp.719-725

04/01/2023

DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003155

PMCID: PMC10333444

PMID: 36630590

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https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10333444/pdf/nihms-1861721.pdfView

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Abstract

Most studies on interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome use typical or average levels of pelvic pain or urologic symptom intensity as their outcome, as both are associated with reduced quality of life (QOL). Symptom exacerbations or "flares" have also been found to be associated with reduced QOL, but no studies, to our knowledge, have investigated whether these associations are independent of typical pelvic pain levels and thus might be useful additional outcome measures (or stated differently, whether reducing flare frequency even without reducing mean pain intensity may be important to patients). We used screening visit and weekly run-in period data from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Symptom Patterns Study to investigate associations between flare frequency and multiple measures of illness impact and health care seeking activity, independent of typical non-flare and overall pelvic pain levels. Among the 613 eligible participants, greater flare frequency was associated with worse condition-specific illness impact (standardized β coefficients=0.11-0.68, p-trends <0.0001) and health care seeking activity (odds ratios=1.52-3.94, p-trends=0.0039-<0.0001) in analyses adjusted for typical non-flare and overall pelvic pain levels. Experiencing ≥1/day was also independently associated with worse general illness impact (standardized β coefficients=0.11-0.25). Our findings suggest that flare frequency and possibly other flare characteristics may be worth considering as additional outcome measures in UCPPS research to support the development of new preventive and therapeutic flare strategies.

bladder pain syndrome

chronic pelvic pain syndrome

chronic prostatitis

flares

interstitial cystitis

Details

Title: Subtitle: Associations Between Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Symptom Flares, Illness Impact, and Health Care Seeking Activity: Findings from the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Symptom Patterns Study
Creators: Siobhan Sutcliffe - Washington University in St. Louis
Craig Newcomb - University of Pennsylvania
Catherine S Bradley - University of Iowa
J Quentin Clemens - University of Michigan
Bradley Erickson - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
Priyanka Gupta - University of Michigan
H Henry Lai - Washington University in St. Louis
Bruce Naliboff - University of California, Los Angeles
Eric Strachan - University of Washington
Alisa Stephens-Shields - University of Pennsylvania
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Journal of urology, Vol.209(4), pp.719-725
DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000003155
PMID: 36630590
PMCID: PMC10333444
NLM abbreviation: J Urol
ISSN: 0022-5347
eISSN: 1527-3792
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 01/11/2023
Date published: 04/01/2023
Academic Unit: Epidemiology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Urology
Record Identifier: 9984358992902771

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