Symptoms and quality of life of patients in ambulatory treatment for benign prostatic: Hyperplasia in Germany

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most frequent diseases in older men. Its importance will increase even more due to demographic changes, increased demands for quality of life in higher age and new treatment modalities. On the basis of a survey of 469 patients treated for BPH by 24 ambulatory care physicians (8 general practitioners, 8 internists, acid 8 urologists) in Dortmund und Hagen between July and October 1992, this report documents the relationship between BPH-specific symptoms and health-related quality of life. We found a marked deterioration of quality of life, an increase in restriction in the pursuit of social activities and an increase in worries with increasing frequency of BPH-specific symptoms. From subjective assessments, the effectiveness of current treatment regimes in ambulatory practice must be questioned.