Asymptomatic bacteriuria in postmenopausal women with diabetes mellitus

INTRODUCTION: An evaluation of efficacy of the management of urinary tract infections by using local forms of Estriol in postmenopausal women with type II diabetes and asymptomatic bacteriuria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage: a prospective cross–sectional study to identify patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria. During this stage, 414 postmenopausal women with type II diabetes, but without clinical symptoms of urinary tract infection, were investigated. In the second stage, women with asymptomatic bacteriuria (87 women) were randomized to two groups: the first group was the main group receiving 0.5 mg of Estriol as a vaginal cream, the second group was the control group. The study lasted 12 months. RESULTS: After 12 months of the study, asymptomatic bacteriuria was revealed in 19.4% of women in the group 1 and 68.4% of women in the group 2 (p <0.001), and symptomatic urinary tract infection in 8.3% of women in the group 1 and 18.4% of women in the group 2 (p <0.001). There was no connection revealed between asymptomatic bacteriuria and HbA1с. Using Estriol in group 1 led to an increase in VHI, the appearance of lactobacilli in the vaginal smear, and the decrease of symptom frequency in atrophic vaginitis. In group 2, there were no significant changes revealed. CONCLUSIONS: Usage of local forms of Estriol effectively prevents and decreases the frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria and urinary tract infection in postmenopausal women suffering with diabetes mellitus.