Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in men over 40 years: A cross-sectional study in Samsun

Abstract

Aim: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a common problem in ageing men. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of LUTS, as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and to establish the relationship between the IPSS and quality of life (QoL) in different age groups of men over 40 years old living in Samsun city center in northern Turkey. Materials and Methods: In all, 1860 men aged over 40 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The Turkish version of the IPSS was applied to all participants using face-to-face interview. Results: The median IPSS and QoL were 3 (1-9) and 1 (0-3), and increased from 1.0 (0-4) and 0.0 (0-1) in the fifth decade to 18.0 (12-26.5) and 4.0 (3-5) in those over 80, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the age groups in both IPSS and QoL (P < 0.01). Of the participants, 81.3% had at least one symptom, the most prevalent of which was nocturia (71.7%). Of the respondents, 29.6% had moderate-to-severe LUTS as measured by the IPSS, and the increase in the prevalence of moderate-to-severe symptoms with age was statistically important (P < 0.001). Nocturia was found to be the strongest predictor of QoL (r(2) = 0.50, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of LUTS in Turkish elderly men is fairly high and increases with age. This finding must be considered when resources are planned for medical care. On the other hand, it seems that increased public awareness is needed to combat the adverse effects of LUTS on QoL.