(Robert Preidt/ HealthDay News) — Urinary tract infections are one of the indignities many women face as they age. One reason why is because their bladder walls can be invaded by several species of bacteria, a new study finds.
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are among the most common type of bacterial infections in women, accounting for nearly 25% of all infections. UTI recurrence rates can range from 16%-36% in younger women to 55% in postmenopausal women.
In the new study, researchers at University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) in Dallas analyzed bacteria in bladder biopsies from 14 postmenopausal women with recurrent UTI. The investigators found that, in these patients, several species of bacteria can get inside the bladder’s surface area.
Bacterial diversity, antibiotic resistance and immune response all play significant roles in recurrent UTIs, according to the study. (…)