Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) Practice Exam

Why may antihypertensives cause urinary incontinence?

1. They increase blood flow to the bladder

2. They relax the smooth muscle of the bladder neck

3. They stimulate the bladder's ability to contract

4. They are diuretics that increase urine output

The correct answer is: They relax the smooth muscle of the bladder neck

Antihypertensives can lead to urinary incontinence primarily because they relax the smooth muscle of the bladder neck. This relaxation can decrease the ability of the bladder neck to effectively retain urine, thereby increasing the likelihood of involuntary leakage. The smooth muscle in the bladder neck plays a critical role in maintaining continence; when it is relaxed, the pressure from the bladder can more easily overcome the resistance of the bladder neck, resulting in urinary incontinence. In contrast, while some antihypertensives also have diuretic effects, simply increasing urine output does not directly relate to the mechanism that causes incontinence in this context. Therefore, the focus here is on how the medications impact the bladder's muscular control, ultimately leading to challenges in maintaining urinary control.