Risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms in elderly men

Objective: The aim of this study was to confirm previous studies with respect to risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as assessed by the international Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) as well as, for the first time, specifically for storage and voiding symptoms in elderly men. Material and Methods: During a health survey organised in the area of Vienna in 1996, the following parameters were obtained: (1) IPSS including the quality of life question; (2) a detailed medical history; (3) assessment of all concurrent medical therapies; (4) physical examination with assessment of age, weight, height, body mass index, heart rate and blood pressure; (5) sociodemographic parameters, and (6) a blood laboratory study including kidney and liver function tests, low- and high-density lipoproteins, cholesterol and glucose. Only men aged 40 years or older without previous surgery to the prostate and without concurrent medication for LUTS were analysed. The IPSS, its irritative (storage symptoms) and obstructive (voiding symptoms) components were correlated to these parameters by partial correlation analysis which was controlled for age.