Urinary Catheters Market: The rapidly aging population leading to the growth in the market

The word “catheter” originates from a Greek word and it means to “to let or send down”. Urinary catheters have been in use since 3000 B.C. to relieve pain from urinary retention. Urinary catheters have wide application in cases where a patient is unable to empty the bladder and the functioning of the bladder is impaired. Urinary incontinence is loss of bladder control and is a very common problem. The Urology Care Foundation states that around 33 million people have an overactive bladder. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that approximately 13 million people in the U.S. suffer from urinary incontinence.

Another commonly occurring urinary disorder is urinary retention that requires catheterization. Urinary retention is the inability to empty the bladder completely and is a very common symptom in the Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), a condition in which the prostate gland enlarge. The rising prevalence of these conditions is driving the expansion of the market for these catheters. transurethral resection of the prostate is a common surgery for BPH and around 150,000 men in the U.S. undergo this resection every year. Spinal cord injuries in the patients also leads to an increasing demand for these catheters. In the patients with spinal cord injuries, there are dramatic changes in the bladder and the rest of the body and the signals between the bladder and the brain cannot travel through the spinal cord, leading to difficulty in urination. Many other neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and others affect the ability of voluntary urination in the patients, thus, requiring catheters. Aging population is one of the key drivers for propelling the demand for urinary catheters. This group of the population is usually more susceptible to urological disorders as well as the neurological problems.

Global urinary catheters market by region, 2015

                             

The urinary catheter type is usually chosen based on the clinical need of a patient, duration of use, and risk of the infection. In 2015, intermittent catheters accounted for majority of the market share of approximately 58%. These catheters are inserted into the bladder temporarily and removed once the bladder is empty. These catheters are preferred as the chances of infection, leakage, and blockage are reduced with the use of these catheters. Moreover, these catheters are covered under Medicaid and Medicare programs and are reimbursed. Catheterization with them is a simple procedure and most of the patients are able to handle catheterization on their own.

Application of these catheters in urinary incontinence held the major market share of about 38.3% in 2015. The rising prevalence of this disorder contributes to the increasing demand for urinary catheters.

The U.S. market is the largest market in urinary catheters, accounting for a market share of approximately 87.8%. The presence of large players in the U.S. with focus on developing technologically advanced and efficient urinary catheters reducing the potential threat of failure and infections contributes to the large market share. The region also faces a burden of aging population and growing prevalence of urological disorders, which drives the growth of the market in this region.

  In-depth report on global urinary catheters market by Grand View Research:

http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/urinary-catheters-market