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In a nutshell
This study investigated if there is a motivating factor for men who seek treatment for LUTS. The authors suggested that nocturia is the most common motivating factor for seeking treatment in men with LUTS.
Some background
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) can have a negative impact on daily life. They are usually treated with a combination of lifestyle modifications and medication. During diagnosis, a patient is evaluated to determine LUTS that affect them. However, currently physicians do not identify the primary motivating LUTS that causes patients to seek medical intervention.
Identifying a chief LUTS complaint (CLC) could help doctors to treat patients more effectively. This may allow doctors to focus on the symptom that causes the most problems for the patient and select suitable treatment strategies in response. There are currently no guidelines on identifying CLCs in men seeking treatment for LUTS.
Methods & findings
This study investigated the motivating factor for men to seek medical treatment for LUTS. This study included 1240 men presenting for LUTS treatment. All patients were asked to complete a quality of life assessment and a CLC identification form.
65% of patients identified a CLC at either the first or second clinic visit. The most common CLC at both visits was nocturia (32.9% of complaints). At further visits, nocturia was the least likely to change – 49% of patients reported ‘persistent’ nocturia. Patients with persistent nocturia were more likely to be older and have diabetes or hypertension.
The bottom line
This study concluded that nocturia is the most common motivating factor for seeking treatment in men with LUTS.
The fine print
Patients were asked to pick the CLC based on a checklist. Self-diagnosis may be biased, as patients may not have understood all of the symptoms they had. A larger study with a standardized CLC identification form should be performed to confirm these findings.
Published By :
Urology
Date :
Nov 01, 2015
