The research: Up to 22% of Americans—mostly women and the elderly—have to grapple with urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), according to the study authors. Among a group of 60 women who suffer from the disease, urine samples taken from the women’s bladder revealed the presence of 10 distinct species of bacteria that did not turn up in the urine samples of healthy women. What it means: It’s possible that these bacteria cause or contribute to the development of UUI, says study coauthor Alan J. Wolfe, PhD, a Loyola microbiologist. It’s also possible that the bacteria develop as a result of the disease. Until Wolfe and other microbiologists figure out whether these bacteria are a cause or an effect of UUI, he says sufferers will have to wait on any new treatment options. But his team’s experiment may help explain why between 40% and 50% of women with UUI don’t experience any relief from conventional treatment options. The bottom line: Despite what you may have heard, urine is not sterile—and neither is the place where urine is stored, Wolfe explains. He says his research is among the first efforts to show how the bacteria content of your bladder may point to the presence of urinary healthy issues, and could pave the way for new treatments. MORE: 11 Fixes For A Weak Bladder
