When Medtime Interferes with Bedtime
Ali Ahmed, M.D., knows congestive heart failure patients sometimes skip their daily dose of diuretics to avoid embarrassing urinary accidents in public -- an unfortunate side effect of the medicine. Urinary incontinence, a condition that includes poor bladder control and urinary leakage, can occur up to five to six hours after taking a diuretic, especially among older patients. However, the majority of congestive heart failure patients take a diuretic to control fluid build-up, a prevalent symptom. That is why Ahmed, associate professor of epidemiology and faculty member at UAB's Center for Aging, is beginning a study to look at whether changing the time a patient takes medication has any effect on the patient's quality of life.
Contact Tracy Bischoff, Media Relations, at 205-934-8935 or [email protected].
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