Increasing Water Intake Can Cut Cystitis Recurrence

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — For women at high risk for cystitis recurrence who drink low volumes of fluid daily, increasing water intake prevents recurrence, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Thomas M. Hooton, M.D., from the University of Miami, and colleagues conducted a randomized 12-month trial involving 163 healthy premenopausal women with recurrent cystitis drinking less than 1.5 L of fluid daily. Twenty-three were excluded, and 140 were randomly assigned to drink either 1.5 L water daily in addition to their usual fluid intake or no additional fluids for 12 months.

The researchers found that the mean number of cystitis episodes was 1.7 and 3.2 in the water and control groups, respectively, with a significant difference in means of 1.5. There were 327 cystitis episodes overall, 111 and 216 in the water and control groups, respectively. The mean number of antimicrobial regimens used to treat cystitis episodes was 1.9 and 3.6, respectively, in the water and control groups, with a significant difference in means of 1.7. The mean time interval between cystitis episodes was 142.8 and 84.4 days, respectively, with a significant difference in means of 58.4 days.

“Increased water intake is an effective antimicrobial-sparing strategy to prevent recurrent cystitis in premenopausal women at high risk for recurrence who drink low volumes of fluid daily,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to Danone Research, France.

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