Researchers have found that urinary incontinence may be linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published last month in the Journal of Preventive Medicine.

While they aimed to confirm whether urinary incontinence in women was linked to a decline in physical activity, which can lead to greater risk of CVD, the researchers from the University of Iowa said they did find that link. However, they still found an association between urinary incontinence and CVD factors or events, such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

One possible explanation is that incontinence leads some women to continue their physical activity but lower its intensity. Lowered intensity, along with stopping physical activity entirely, are common responses among women who develop urinary incontinence, previous studies have shown.

“Individuals with incontinence who decrease intensity of activity may not exercise at intensities high enough to drive physiologic adaptations to the cardiovascular or metabolic systems,” the authors wrote. “Aerobic fitness improves through adaptation to physical activity and greater aerobic fitness is associated with greater protection against CVD.”

Since the study confirmed previous studies showing a link between CVD and urinary incontinence, the authors recommend screening patients for both.

“There is an association between incontinence and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk,” they note. “Women should be screened for incontinence regularly as it may contribute to CVD risk, and women with CVD risk factors should be screened for undiagnosed incontinence.”