Are lower urinary tract symptoms associated with erectile dysfunction in aging males of Taiwan?

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) in aging males of Taiwan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A free health screening for aging males (>or=45 years old) was conducted in Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital in August 2004. LUTS and ED were assessed by validated symptom scales: the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5). The subjects also completed a health and demographics questionnaire and underwent detailed physical examination, serum prostate-specific antigen level determination, and transrectal ultrasonography. RESULTS: The final study population consisted of 141 patients with a mean age of 59.8 years. The severity of LUTS and ED increased with age. After controlling for comorbidities, age (p<0.001) and IPSS score (p<0.001) were significantly associated with the IIEF-5 score. Furthermore, men with moderate to high IPSS scores were more likely to have ED as compared with those with mild symptoms after age adjustment (age-adjusted odds ratio 3.27, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: ED and LUTS are highly prevalent in our study population, and this prevalence increases with age. ED is significantly associated with the severity of LUTS after controlling for age and comorbidities. These results highlight the clinical importance of evaluating LUTS in patients with ED and the need to consider sexual issues in the management of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.     

Does deep brain stimulation improve lower urinary tract symptoms in Parkinson's disease?

Aims

To investigate whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus pars interna (GPi) or the subthalamic nucleus (STN) improve lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods

An exploratory post‐hoc analysis was performed of specific LUTS items of questionnaires used in a randomized clinical trial with 128 patients (NSTAPS study). First, we compared scores on LUTS items at baseline and 12 months for the GPi DBS and STN DBS group separately. Second, we divided the group by sex, instead of DBS location; to assess a possible gender associated influence of anatomical and pathophysiological differences, again comparing scores at baseline and 12 months. Third, we reported on Foley‐catheter use at baseline and after 12 months.

Results

Urinary incontinence and frequency improved after both GPi DBS and STN DBS at 12 months, postoperatively, but this was only statistically significant for the STN DBS group (P = 0.004). The improvements after DBS were present in both men (P = 0.01) and women (P = 0.05). Nocturia and urinary incontinence did not improve significantly after any type of DBS, irrespective of sex. At 12 months, none of the patients had a Foley‐catheter.

Conclusions

Urinary incontinence and frequency significantly improved after STN DBS treatment in male and female patients with PD. Nocturia and nighttime incontinence due to parkinsonism did not improve after DBS, irrespective of gender.     

Are female lower urinary tract symptoms alleviated by alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists?

This commentary discusses the article by Low and colleagues, who studied the effect of terazosin in women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) > o =8. Terazosin therapy significantly improved IPSS quality-of-life scores and King's Health Questionnaire scores. These findings might seem surprising, because previous studies have shown that alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists are not effective in women with overactive bladder, which is considered the most common form of LUTS in females. Many women have voiding symptoms, however, and the inclusion criteria in this study resulted in a different population profile compared with those of other studies of female LUTS. The mechanism behind the effect of terazosin is unclear. Without urodynamic characterization, it cannot be established whether patients in the study were obstructed, or whether the effect of terazosin was related to a decrease in bladder outflow resistance.     

Antimuscarinic therapy in men with lower urinary tract symptoms: What is the evidence?

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men have, until recently, been assumed to arise from bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. Given this presumption, all manifestations (obstructive and irritative) of LUTS have been presumed to be responsive to therapy for prostatic disorders such as α-blockade (with or without the relatively recent addition of 5α-reductase inhibitors) or surgical intervention for benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, evidence demonstrates that persistence of irritative urinary symptoms is often encountered in men despite presumed adequate management of their obstructive complaints. Although antimuscarinic drugs have been found to be effective for irritative urinary symptoms attributed to the overactive bladder syndrome, concern regarding the use of this class of drugs in men with even potential coexistent BOO has limited the use of these drugs. Data are now accumulating that suggest that the antimuscarinic class may be used in men with bothersome, irritative symptoms, despite the presence of BOO (as defined by symptoms and urodynamics) and with a reasonable expectation of efficacy and little added risk. Critical evaluation of this evidence suggests that a role may exist for the antimuscarinic class in management of LUTS in men. However, areas of incomplete knowledge, including the risk associated with long-term (greater than 3 months) use of these drugs and the value of the antimuscarinic class as monotherapy in men with LUTS, still remain to be investigated.     

Should we explain lower urinary tract symptoms to patients?

AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the understanding of lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) terminology used by patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women attending urodynamic clinics in United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy were asked to complete a questionnaire testing the women's understanding of stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, frequency, urgency, nocturia, and hesitancy. Five possible explanations for the meaning of each symptom were given. RESULTS: A total of 138 consecutive women were prospectively recruited. The terms of daytime frequency, nocturia, urgency, urge urinary incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, and hesitancy were defined correctly, according to the International Continence Society terminology, only by 33% (45/138), 44% (61/138), 46% (64/138), 39% (54/138), 37% (51/138), and 41% (57/138) of women, respectively. Over 20% of women were unsure about the meaning of each symptom. We did not find any statistical difference between the three groups in determining the correct definition (P = 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that most women do not know the correct meaning of LUTS terminology currently used by physicians.     

Do we know everything about alpha-blockade in the management of lower urinary tract symptoms?

alpha(1)-Adrenoceptor antagonists such as tamsulosin relieve voiding and filling LUTS. Improvement of the voiding ('obstructive') symptoms is related to alpha(1A)-related desobstruction. Improvement of the filling ('irritative') symptoms may be related to reduction of alpha(1D) (and alpha(1A))-related obstruction. Blockade of alpha(1A)-adrenoceptors in the human prostate may be required for reduction of obstruction and improvement of related voiding symptoms and urinary flow. Blockade of alpha(1D) (and alpha(1A))-adrenoceptors in the human bladder may, in addition, be required to relieve filling LUTS. These concepts should be evaluated further before definitive conclusions can be drawn. If definitely proven, this could mean that alpha-blockers have to be considered to not only act on BPH (the causative disease) but also (and perhaps more) on the target organ, the bladder. Early treatment could have a protective effect on the bladder and chronic treatment could prevent hypertrophic bladder modification.     

Are prostatic calculi independent predictive factors of lower urinary tract symptoms？

We determined the correlation between prostatic calculi and lower urinary tract symptoms （LUTS）,as well as the predisposing factors of prostatic calculi. Of the 1 527 patients who presented at our clinic for LUTS,802underwent complete evaluations,including transrectal ultrasonography,voided bladder-3 specimen and international prostatic symptoms score （IPSS）. A total of 335 patients with prostatic calculi and 467 patients without prostatic calculi were divided into calculi and no calculi groups,respectively. Predictive factors of severe LUTS and prostatic calculi were determined using uni/multivariate analysis. The overall IPSS score was 15.7±9.2 and 14.1±9.1 in the calculi and no calculi group,respectively （P = 0.013）. The maximum flow rate was 12.1±6.9 and 14.2±8.2 mL s~（-1） in the calculi and no calculi group,respectively （P = 0.003）. On univariate analysis for predicting factors of severe LUTS,differences on age （P = 0.042）,prostatic calculi （P = 0.048） and prostatitis （P = 0.018） were statistically significant. However,on multivariate analysis,no factor was significant. On multivariate analysis for predisposing factors of prostatic calculi,differences on age （P〈0.001） and prostate volume （P = 0.001） were significant. To our knowledge,patients who have prostatic calculi complain of more severe LUTS. However,prostatic calculi are not an independent predictive factor of severe LUTS. Therefore,men with prostatic calculi have more severe LUTS not only because of prostatic calculi but also because of age and other factors. In addition,old age and large prostate volume are independent predisposing factors for prostatic calculi.     

Free uroflowmetry versus “Do-It-Yourself” uroflowmetry in the assessment of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms

Introduction

We investigated the possibility that patients could carry out a urine flow assessment at home by themselves, in comfort, without expense and without the use of equipment. We compared this strategy of “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) uroflowmetry with traditional, hospital uroflowmetry.

Materials and methods

One hundred and twenty patients were enrolled. The patients underwent conventional, free uroflowmetry in hospital. Subsequently, the patients were asked to carry out the following procedure at home: urinate into a graduated container to quantify the total voided volume and determine the flow time by measuring the duration of miction with a stopwatch or simply with the second hand of a clock. This procedure had to be performed three times without preparation.

Results

Hundred patients completed the study. The mean age of the patients analysed was 64.12 years. Their free uroflowmetry values were as follows: the mean voiding time was 44.28 s, the mean voided volume was 290.92 ml, the mean Qmax was 15.17 ml/s, the mean Qmean was 7.87 ml/s, and the mean post-void residual volume was 78.44 ml. The mean Qmean measured by the “DIY-uroflowmetry” was 8.33 ml/s, which was not statistically significantly different (P = 0.12). Assuming that pathological hospital uroflowmetry values are equivalent to a DIY-Qmean ≤10 ml/s and that normal hospital values are equivalent to a DIY-Qmean >10 ml/s, the concordance was 100 %.

Conclusions

Our proposed DIY evaluation of urine flow, together with the International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS), provides a good estimate of the results of free uroflowmetry, enabling unnecessary hospital investigations to be avoided.