The association between overactive bladder and fibromyalgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Overactive bladder is a common syndrome that significantly affects the quality of life. Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain, impacting patients' lives. The exact mechanisms of the two syndromes remain unknown, but there is an overlap between the suspected pathophysiologies. Objective: To present an overview of the current research on the association between overactive bladder (OAB) and fibromyalgia. Search strategy: A systematic search of four electronic databases was conducted. Search strategy: Studies examining the correlation between OAB and fibromyalgia with female patients aged over 18 years were included. Data collection and analysis: Two reviewers screened the studies for eligibility. Eligible studies were screened for quality. A meta-analysis was performed for eligible studies. Main results: Seven studies were included in the final review, of which six presented a positive association between the syndromes. The studies demonstrated a positive association between fibromyalgia and the severity of OAB and an adverse effect on the quality of life related to OAB. A mean effect size of 1.96 (95% confidence interval 0.85–3.06) was calculated. Conclusion: OAB and fibromyalgia are both complex and multifactorial syndromes. The study presents an association between them, but additional studies on the topic should be conducted for a more precise conclusion.