Women's increased urinary urgency with age does not appear to be the result of a shrinking bladder, but rather reflects a treatable muscular disorder.
Women with normally aging bladders had weaker bladder sensation; while women who experienced increased bladder sensation actually had an underlying condition called detrusor overactivity (DO). DO is a common condition, often referred to as overactive bladder, where the detrusor muscle that controls the emptying of the bladder contracts involuntarily, creating a strong, sometimes uncontrollable urge to empty the bladder.
"Now, when a woman comes to her doctor and says that she thinks her bladder is shrinking, we realize that it is more likely she suffers from DO than from a smaller bladder," said Dr. Resnick. "The good news is that DO is treatable, so that any woman experiencing urgency or incontinence should see her doctor."
