Profile of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in the Male and Their Impact on Quality of Life

Objectives: Following current European Guidelines, Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) are produced by several causes and, thus, thorough clinical assessment should be undertaken for a correct therapeutic management. This study was conducted in order to assess the symptoms profile and their impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) of male patients attending urology outpatient clinics. Material and methods: Epidemiological, cross-sectional study including adult male patients (n = 826) presenting with at least one de nova previously untreated LUTS. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were collected. Patients completed IPSS, Bladder Control Self-Assessment Questionnaire (B-SAQ) and SF-12 questionnaires. Results: Mean age (SD) was 65 (10) years. A combination of storage, voiding and post-micturition symptoms were present in 69% of subjects and 30% showed >= 2 urgency episodes and >= 6 micturitions daily (storage symptoms -SS- sub-population). Storage symptoms were the reason for consultation in 86%. Mean peak urinary flow (Qmax) was 11.4 mL/s, in 44% of patients,prostate volume was 20-40 mL and 91% showed moderate or severe symptoms on IPSS with an overall mean (SD) score of 17 (7). SS sub-population had higher B-SAQ scores (6,9 vs 4,8 for symptoms; 7,8 vs 5,1 for bother), and worse HRQL (IPSS item 8). Conclusions: These findings support the importance of addressing treatment adequately according to patient profile, bothersomeness and impact on HRQL. (C) 2012 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.