ResearchPosted on rand.org 2007Published In: Urologic Diseases In America / Edited By Mark S. Litwin and Christopher S. Saigal (Washington, D.C.: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2007), Chapter 4, p. 125-154, NIH Pub. no. 07-5512
Interstitial cystitis (IC) and painful bladder syndrome (PBS) are enigmatic chronic conditions characterized by frequent urination and bladder pain. Onset frequently occurs in the patient's fourth decade or after, and the disease typically fluctuates in severity but rarely resolves completely. Patients suffer considerable morbidity over the course of their lives, especially during the most productive years for work and family life, especially during the most productive years for work and family life. Although the data presented in this chapter focus on the direct medical costs of IC, patients are equally, if not more, affected by loss of work opportunities, effects on relationships, and overall diminished quality of life. Progress in addressing this disease has been painstakingly slow due to a lack of understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, significant disagreements about its diagnosis, lack of a marker for the disease or its activity, and lack of effective treatments. The National Institutes of Health has funded a number of initiatives in both the clinical and basic science of IC over the past 15 years.
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