Photo Credit: iStock.com/Liudmila Chernetska

Higher cardiometabolic index levels were strongly linked to all types of urinary incontinence in women. 

A study published in April 2025 issue of European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology about Urinary incontinence (UI), closely related to metabolic conditions, and the cardiometabolic index (CMI) had emerged as a novel and easily obtainable indicator for assessing metabolic status.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the potential relationship between the CMI and female UI.  

They analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition examination Survey (NHANES) (2005–2018), including adult women with self-reported UI and complete CMI calculation information. The CMI was calculated as triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) × waist-to-height ratio (WHtR, WHtR = waist circumference/height). A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the linear relationship between CMI and types of UI: UUI, SUI, and MUI. Subgroup analyses and RCS curves were used to evaluate nonlinear relationships and threshold effects.  

The results showed that among 6,628 adult women, multivariate logistic regression revealed that the highest CMI was associated with increased odds of UUI, SUI, and MUI by 1.14 times (OR = 2.14; 95% CI, 1.83–2.50, P < 0.0001), 0.38 times (OR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17–1.63, P = 0.0001), and 0.83 times (OR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.49–2.23, P < 0.0001), respectively, compared to the lowest CMI group. Subgroup analysis indicated significant interactions for all types of incontinence. Additionally, the CMI and Urinary incontinence relationship showed nonlinear associations with inflection points at 2.98 for UUI, 3.21 for SUI, and 2.98 for MUI.  

Investigators concluded that increased CMI levels were closely linked with UI and suggested that CMI could serve as a valuable indicator for assessing UI risk. 

Source: ejog.org/article/S0301-2115(25)00259-3/abstract