Prevalence of storage lower urinary tract symptoms in male patients attending Spanish urology office. Urinary urgency as predictor of quality of life

Introduction: The study sought to determine the symptomatic profile of men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) who visited a urology clinic in Spain and its impact on their health-related quality of life (HRQL). Materials and methods: A national, epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted and included 291 urology clinics. The prevalence of storage LUTS was investigated in 25,482 men. The study collected sociodemographic and clinical data from a subgroup of 1015 patients with storage LUTS who filled out the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form (OABq-SF) and Patient Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC) questionnaires. The impact of urinary urgency on HRQL was analysed. Results: The prevalence of storage LUTS was 41%, increasing with age: 14.1%, 41.5% and 60.8% for patients aged 18-49, 50-64 and >= 65 years, respectively. Of the 1015 selected patients, only 2.6% had storage symptoms exclusively. Symptom severity (IPSS) increased with age. Nocturia, frequency and urgency were the most common symptoms and had the most impact on HRQL (IPSS and OABq-SF). The number of urgency episodes was inversely correlated with the HRQL (r = -.773; P < .0001). In the multivariate analysis, only the IPSS and OABq-SF bother scores were significant predictors of HRQL (P < .001). Conclusion: Storage LUTS are highly prevalent among patients attending urology clinics in Spain. The severity of the urgency (number of urgency episodes) predicted a poorer quality of life for the patient. (C) 2016 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.