Why So Many Older Women Develop UTIs

A study published in the Journal of Molecular Biology found urinary tract infections (UTIs) are prevalent among older women partly because their bladder walls can be infiltrated by several species of bacteria, reports HealthDay News . The researchers examined bacteria in bladder biopsies from 14 postmenopausal women suffering from recurrent UTI. They cited bacterial diversity, antibiotic resistance, and immune response as significant factors in recurrent UTIs. "Our findings represent a step in understanding recurrent UTIs in postmenopausal women," said University of Texas Southwestern Professor Kim Orth. "We will need to use methods other than antibiotics to treat this disease, as now we observe diverse types of bacteria in the bladder wall of these individuals." Orth added that recurrent UTI "reduces quality of life, places a significant burden on the healthcare system, and contributes to antimicrobial resistance." Additional factors believed to play a role in higher UTI rates in postmenopausal women include pelvic organ prolapse, diabetes, lack of estrogen, loss of Lactobacilli in the vagina, and higher levels of E. coli in tissues surrounding the urethra.