Abstract

Around 1.5% of adults in Europe and the USA have urge urinary incontinence (involuntary leakage immediately preceded or accompanied by urgency).1^,2 This is usually due to overactive bladder syndrome (defined as urgency, with or without urge incontinence, and usually with frequency and nocturia),1 which occurs in around 12% of adults, and is similarly prevalent in men and women.2 We last reviewed this condition in 2001.3 Since then, two new antimuscarinic drugs, ▼darifenacin (Emselex) and ▼solifenacin (Vesicare) have been licensed in the UK for urge incontinence and/or increased urinary frequency and urgency (as may occur in patients with overactive bladder syndrome),4^,5 as have ▼transdermal oxybutynin (Kentera) and modified-release formulations of tolterodine (Detrusitol XL) and propiverine (Detrunorm XL).6–8 Here we review the place of these newer drugs and formulations.