W. Lv, X. Zhao and L. Liu (2025). Low-carbohydrate diet, overweight/obesity and female urinary incontinence: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. BMC women's health, 25(1), 462. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-04012-7

PubMed 41023984

[Abstract]
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) on the relationship between overweight/obese and urinary incontinence (UI) in women.

METHODS: A total of 13,733 female patients were included in this cross-sectional study, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018. Various subtypes of UI were the primary endpoint. Overweight was defined as 25 kg/m2 ≤ body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2; obese was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. LCD was categorized into two groups based on median value: low-LCD group, high-LCD group. We employed weighted univariate and multivariate regression analysis to examine the association between overweight, obese, and UI [including stress UI (SUI), urge UI (UUI), mixed UI (MUI), or any UI)] within each group (low-LCD and high-LCD groups).

RESULTS: 47.53% presented with low-LCD score, and 52.47% had high-LCD score. The association between overweight or obese and an increased risk of SUI in both the low-LCD and high-LCD groups. Compared to the low-LCD group, the correlation between BMI and SUI was reduced in high-LCD group. Obese was related to a higher risk of UUI in female with low/high-LCD score. Women with high-LCD score exhibited a diminished correlation between obese and UUI risk, in contrast to their counterparts with low-LCD score. Similarly, higher risk of MUI can be found in overweight and obese female with low LCD score. In the high LCD group, obese was significantly associated with an increased risk of MUI. When the LCD score increased, there was a corresponding decrease in the impact of obese on MUI risk. Any subtype of UI risk was higher among women who were overweight or obese, regardless of their low or high LCD score. As the LCD score increased, the impact of overweight/obese on the any subtypes of UI risk decreased.

CONCLUSION: High-LCD score may attenuate the impact of overweight or obese on the SUI, UUI, MUI and any UI. Adopting LCD pattern may have the potential to mitigate the risk of overweight and obese-related UI.