Is Obesity Significantly Connected with Urogenital Disorders? – Systematic Review

Abstract Background Obesity was declared an epidemic of the 21st century by WHO. Currently, as many as 39% of adults in the world are overweight and 13% are obese. The number of obese people in the world has tripled since 1975. As is well known, excessive abnormal body weight has a significant impact on the functioning of the entire body. It is very common to emphasize education on cardiovascular implications related to obesity matter – however, overweight and obese patients may also be a group particularly vulnerable to problems related to the urogenital system. Objectives The aim of the study is to draw attention and discuss the problems related to the above-mentioned system, to which this group of patients is exposed more frequently than patients with normal body weight. They include dysfunctions that do not pose a threat to the patient’s life, but significantly reduce the quality of life, such as urinary incontinence and impotence, and severe and even life-threatening diseases such as chronic kidney disease or cancer. Material and methods Based on numerous data available on this subject and collected from various research centers using Google Scholar and Pub-Med, the most recent and the most important information on this subject has been summarized. To better present and understand the problem, the mechanisms were also discussed, so that the work is a complete analysis, particularly useful in the current obesity epidemic. Results Obesity is associated with an increased risk of many diseases of the urogenital system. It causes a worse prognosis and makes treatment less effective. Treatment of obesity should be the first line of treatment of the discussed diseases of the genitourinary system. Conclusions Obesity is a serious and growing problem all over the world. It has an impact on the epidemiology of many diseases of the urogenital system, therefore paying special attention to its prevention and treatment seems to be one of the most important foundations for the prevention and treatment of dysfunctions of the genitourinary system.