what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Arline Nielsen is booked for Botox injections at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital and the appointment can't come a moment too soon.

Wrinkles are one thing -- a leaky bladder quite another.

The 73-year-old Montreal woman suffers interstitial cystitis, an inflammatory bladder condition that keeps her running to the washroom up to 30 times a day.

Urologists at the Montreal hospital are now using Botox successfully in the treatment of interstitial cystitis and other overactive bladder conditions....

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This article describes a relatively "new" use (treatment of overactive bladder) for a relatively "old" drug product (botulinum-A toxin).

The authors refer to a Canadian case series in which this "anti-aging drug...dramatically improved urge incontinence" in 65% of patients. No reference to other clinical experiences is made. Minimal discussion of existing treatments for this indication is provided, and no discussion of potential harms can be found.

Reference to the non-permanence of the procedure is made, however, second treatment response rates is vague. An attempt to validate the findings is made through reference to other hospitals now "joining in" on the use of Botox for this indication.

A standard patient anecdote is included in an attempt to humanize the story. No reference to investigator conflicts of interest is made, nor are efforts towards corroboration evident. Approximate costs are provided, but it is unclear as to whether these are drug costs only. Procedure costs would likely be considerable for this form of therapy. Costs for treatment alternatives are not provided.

Overall, this is a somewhat unbalanced article, possessing the typical shortcomings of reports of this nature.

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