Systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of metabolic syndrome in women with overactive bladder

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to determine the association of metabolic syndrome (METS) in women with and without overactive bladder (OAB). PRISMA guidelines were followed and the protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42024606398). We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS databases to obtain relevant articles for studies reporting METS outcomes related to OAB published through October 2024. A meta-analysis was performed of available studies using random effect models. Results are reported as mean difference (MD), standardized MD (SMD), or odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was described with the <i>I</i>² statistic. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Of the 108 non-duplicated retrieved citations, after successive selection, four case-control studies with low or moderate risk of bias reported information about the association of METS in women assessed with the 8-item OAB Symptom Bother Scale. OAB patients displayed higher body mass index (BMI, MD: 3.27, 95% CI: 2.12, 4.43), waist circumference (MD: 7.96, 95% CI: 4.41, 11.52), fasting blood glucose (SMD: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.18, 2.34), triglycerides (SMD: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.47), and LDL-cholesterol (SMD: 0.30, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.54) levels. In addition to low HDL-cholesterol levels (SMD: −0.40, 95% CI: −0.74, −0.06) compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in circulating total cholesterol levels and rates of hypertension, hysterectomy, postmenopausal status, and constipation in women with and without OAB. Women with OAB display associations with age, BMI, waist circumference, and METS factors.