Total fluid intake, caffeine, and other bladder irritant avoidance among adults having urinary urgency with and without urgency incontinence: The Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN)

Introduction Caffeine has long been vilified as a cause for urinary urgency incontinence (UUI) along with other potential bladder irritants such as carbonation, alcohol, and acidic juices. The objective of this study was to assess the fluid intake behavior of people with urgency, UUI, and those with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) without UUI or urgency to assess if they avoided certain potential bladder irritants or had different fluid intake. We hypothesized that patients with UUI would avoid caffeine as a self‐management method more so than these other two groups. Methods Treatment‐seeking men and women with LUTS in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) Observational Cohort study completed a baseline 3‐day voiding and intake diary. “Complete” diaries had 3 days of data and no missing intake or voided volumes. Beverages with any caffeine, alcohol, carbonation, or acidic juice were identified and the total volume was recorded as well as the type of beverage containing caffeine to calculate the daily caffeine dose. Results Four hundred and ninety‐one participants (277 men and 214 women) with a median age of 63 had complete diaries. Urinary urgency was more prevalent in women than men (79% vs. 55%, p