Comparison of Urine pH in Postmenopausal Women With a Current, a History of, or No History of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection

Introduction: Owing to its mechanism of action, Hiprex should be preferentially administered to those with stable urine pH 6 or less. Consequently, we sought to determine the common range of urine pH in a population of postmenopausal (PM) women affected by recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) to understand the relevance of Hiprex for long-term rUTI management. Methods: Following Internal Review Board approval, a large, prospective database of PM women with uncomplicated rUTI was reviewed for concurrent data on urine pH and urine culture (UC) with bacterial species. Three groups were compared: a history of rUTI, current UTI, and no history of UTI (control). A χ 2 test analyzed association between a median pH of 6 or less by group. Urinary pH was also examined by bacterial species. Results: The final UC analysis included a total of 345 women (median age 70 years) who provided 1276 UCs (median 3 UCs). The rate of urine pH ≤ 6 was 76% (94/123) and 77% (255/332) in those with current UTI and a history of UTI, respectively. In the control group, urine pH was measured longitudinally (4 times) in 26 PM women (median age 70.5) and 65% (17/26) had a urine pH ≤ 6 (χ 2 P = .4). Minimal association was noted between low pH and bacterial species. Conclusions: Three-quarters of women with a history of uncomplicated rUTI, whether symptomatic at the time of the UC or not, had a urine pH ≤ 6. More than half of women with no history of UTI fell in that same category.