Myostatin Changes in Females with UI after Magnetic Stimulation: A Quasi-Experimental Study

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 60; no. 9; p. 1399
• Main Authors: Filippini, Maurizio, Bugli, Simona, Biordi, Nicoletta, Muccioli, Fausto, Reggini, Valentina, Benedettini, Milena, Migliore, Serena, Pieri, Laura, Comito, Alessandra, Pennati, Beatrice Marina, Fusco, Irene, Isaza, Pablo Gonzalez, Dominguez, Antonio Posada, Zingoni, Tiziano, Farinelli, Miriam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Behavior modification; Care and treatment; Childbirth & labor; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Exercise; Female; Females; genital hiatus; Health aspects; Humans; Magnetic Field Therapy - methods; Magnetic fields; magnetic stimulation; Measurement; Middle Aged; Musculoskeletal system; Myostatin; Myostatin - analysis; Myostatin - blood; Patients; Pelvic Floor; Pelvic organ prolapse; Pelvis; Questionnaires; Risk factors; stress urinary incontinence; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; ultrasound; Urinary incontinence; Urinary Incontinence - therapy; Urinary Incontinence, Stress - therapy; Vagina; Weightlifting; Women patients; Womens health; Wound healing; San Marino; magnetic stimulation; stress urinary incontinence; genital hiatus; pelvic floor; quality of life; myostatin; ultrasound
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina60091399

: Urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntary loss of urine caused by a weakness in the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) that affects urethral closure. Myostatin, which prevents the growth of muscles, is a protein expressed by human skeletal muscle cells. Indeed, it has been observed that myostatin concentration rises during skeletal muscle inactivity and that suppressing serum myostatin promotes muscle growth and strength. Furthermore, therapeutic interventions that reduce myostatin signalling may lessen the effects of aging on skeletal muscle mass and function. For this reason, the aim of the study was to assess if flat magnetic stimulation technology affects serum myostatin levels, as myostatin can block cell proliferation at the urethral sphincter level. : A total of 19 women, 75% presenting stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and 25% urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), were enrolled. A non-invasive electromagnetic therapeutic system designed for deep pelvic floor area stimulation was used for eight sessions. : The ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) test indicated that the myostatin levels in blood sera had significantly decreased. Patients' ultrasound measurements showed a significant genital hiatus length reduction at rest and in a stress condition. The Pelvic Floor Bother Questionnaire consistently revealed a decrease in mean scores when comparing the pre- and post-treatment data. : Effective flat magnetic stimulation reduces myostatin concentration and genital hiatus length, minimizing the severity of urinary incontinence. The results of the study show that without causing any discomfort or unfavourable side effects, the treatment plan significantly improved the PFM tone and strength in patients with UI.