title: The impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on health-related quality of life among patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lower urinary tract symptoms are commonly experienced among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), however, their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has not been well characterized. Herein the incremental impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on HRQOL among patients with MS has been evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional online survey was administered to US residents with a self-reported MS diagnosis. Data pertaining to demographics, disease history, urinary symptoms, and HRQOL, including the Short Form 36, version 2 (SF-36v2), were collected. Patients were stratified into four urinary symptom groups: no/minimal urinary symptoms, urinary urgency (UU), urinary urgency incontinence (UUI), and other lower urinary tract symptoms. Multiple linear regression models evaluated the impact of these symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the 1,052 respondents, mean age was 47.8 ± 10.6 years; mean time since MS diagnosis was 8.5 ± 7.8 years. UUI and UU subgroups showed the greatest adjusted HRQOL decrement compared with the no/minimal urinary symptoms group, scoring 2.8 (SE ± 0.7, UUI) and 3.5 (SE ± 0.8, UU) points lower on SF-36v2 Physical Component Summary, respectively, and 3.7 (SE ± 1.0, UUI) and 5.0 (SE ± 1.2, UU) points lower on SF-36v2 Mental Component Summary (P < 0.001 for all), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both UU and UUI symptoms contribute to a decrement in HRQOL among patients with MS.
authors.affiliation: Allergan, Inc., Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Khalaf
authors.affiliation: Evidera, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Karin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Coyne
authors.affiliation: Formerly Allergan, Inc., Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Denise R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Globe
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.affiliation: Allergan, Inc., Irvine, California.
authors.forename: Vaishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2960-9931
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: epidemiology; outcome assessment; quality of life