Increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Background and objective

Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) includes interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). These conditions, hypothesized to be inflammatory in nature, are characterized by pelvic pain and urinary symptoms. Recent research has identified a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in females with IC/BPS; however, this association remains underexplored in males with CP/CPPS.

Methods

We conducted an observational study using the TriNetX database from 2004 to 2024. Males and females (≥18 years) were categorized into cohorts based on IC/BPS or CP/CPPS diagnoses. Each cohort was compared to a control group using propensity score matching based on age and BMI. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals were calculated for T2DM prevalence.

Key findings and limitations

T2DM was more prevalent in patients with UCPPS than in controls. Among IC/BPS patients, the OR for T2DM was 2.27 in males and 1.54 in females. In males with CP/CPPS, the OR was 1.75. All associations were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The use of ICD-10 codes introduces the potential for misclassification and missing data. Additionally, the severity of UCPPS cannot be captured using only ICD-10 codes.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate a significant association between UCPPS and T2DM, particularly in males with IC/BPS and CP/CPPS. The increased T2DM prevalence in IC/BPS aligns with prior studies. These results suggest shared inflammatory or metabolic pathways and support consideration of T2DM screening in this population. Further research is warranted to elucidate underlying mechanisms linking chronic pelvic pain and T2DM.