UTI'S , Estrogen & menopause.

[Guest guest]

Hope this helps someone with chronic UTI's and again how estrogen may benefit.

Dee~

The risk for UTIs, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, is highest in women after menopause. In fact, studies indicate that between 20% and 25% of women over 65 years old have UTIs, and 10% to 15% have asymptomatic bacteriuria (compared to 2% to 5% of young women).

Sexual activity plays a lesser role in UTIs in older women than in younger women. In general, biologic changes due to menopause put older women at particular risk for primary and recurring UTIs:

With estrogen loss, the walls of the urinary tract thin out, weakening the mucous membrane and reducing its ability to resist bacteria. The bladder may lose elasticity and fail to empty completely.

Estrogen loss has also been associated with reduction in certain immune factors in the vagina that help block E. coli from adhering to vaginal cells.

Levels of lactobacilli (protective bacteria) decline after menopause, perhaps also due to drops in estrogen.

Some women carry the blood group P1, which, as they get older, is associated with high levels of specific cells in the vagina and urethra that bind to a specific strain of E. coli that is resistant to normal infection-fighting mechanisms.

Risk Factors for Recurrence in the Aging Woman. In addition to menopause (see above), other very strong risk factors for recurrences in older women include urinary incontinence and previous operations on the genital or urinary tracts. Additional risk factors for UTIs in older women include diabetes, vaginal itching or dryness, having had children, and poor overall health.

Estrogen Cream or Estrogen-Releasing Vaginal Devices

Postmenopausal women with recurrent UTIs may consider the use of an estrogen vaginal cream or estrogen-releasing vaginal ring (Estring).

Estrogen may resist infection by increasing the number of lactobacilli, the microorganism that fights infection by lowering the vaginal pH levels and preventing E. coli from adhering to vaginal cells.

Estrogen creams and estrogen-releasing rings have been associated with a lower incidence of recurring urinary tract infections than women not using such topical estrogens. Oral hormone replacement therapies, which contain estrogen, do not seem to provide the same benefit as the topical forms.

Source: http://apps.adam.com/pages/wc/articles/000036.htm