title: Lower urinary tract symptoms in the danish population: a population-based study of symptom prevalence, health-care seeking behavior and prevalence of treatment in elderly males and females.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of LUTS in the elderly Danish population. Furthermore to evaluate the quality of life, the health-care seeking behavior and the prevalence of treatment with relation to LUTS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mailed questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 8700 men and 1000 females above 50-years. The questionnaire included five demographic questions, the I-PSS and questions concerning previous physician contact and treatment with relation to LUTS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaire was returned by 61.5% of the males and 47.7% of the females. The median I-PSS was 4 in males and 3 in females. Overall 28% of males and 20% of females had significant LUTS (I-PSS>7). A significant increase in the total burden of symptoms with increasing age was found in males whereas a clear age-trend was not found in females. Overall 9.2% of males and 8.2% of females had seen a physician within the last two years for voiding problems. A high proportion of subjects with moderate or even severe symptoms had not seen a physician within two years due to voiding problems. Of males 13.3% had previous been or were currently being treated for voiding problems while the corresponding number in females was 10.9%. These subjects had significantly more symptoms than untreated age-matched subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in elderly Danish males and females. Overall the same pattern for health-care seeking behavior with regard to LUTS is seen in males and females and the overall treatment prevalence is similar. For both genders it is worth noting that a substantial proportion of subjects with a high symptom burden had not visited their physician within two years and further that subjects who have been treated for LUTS have a higher symptom levels than their untreated peers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Fredericia Hospital, Dronningensgade 97, 7000 Fredericia, Denmark. b-noerby@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nørby
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nordling
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mortensen
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy