title: Correlations among Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, Bother, and Quality of Life in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Associated Fluctuations with Tamsulosin Administration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate correlations among lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), bother, and quality of life (QOL) and assess fluctuations in these parameters after α1-blocker administration in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Untreated BPH patients with international prostate symptom scores (IPSS) ≥ 8 and IPSS-QOL scores ≥ 2 were administered tamsulosin at 0.2 mg/day for 4 weeks in a prospective multicenter study. We subsequently estimated the IPSS, bother score for each IPSS item, BPH impact index (BII), and IPSS-QOL score before and 4 weeks after tamsulosin administration. We also analyzed the LUTS that might strongly influence QOL by using a path analysis model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyzable data were obtained from 198 of the 257 patients enrolled. The IPSS were highest for LUTS such as slow stream, followed by increased daytime frequency and nocturia. The bother score was highest for slow stream, followed by nocturia. We observed dissociations between IPSS and bother scores for both urgency and nocturia. After tamsulosin administration, total and individual IPSS, total and individual bother scores, total and individual BII scores, and IPSS-QOL score demonstrated significant improvements. Path analysis showed that physical discomfort and bothersomeness were BII items that strongly influenced QOL. Furthermore, feeling of incomplete emptying, urgency, and slow stream were LUTS that strongly influenced QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tamsulosin administration improved patient QOL by possible mechanisms via improvement in subjective symptoms and bother. The LUTS that strongly influenced QOL comprised feeling of incomplete emptying, urgency, and slow stream.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Momokazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsukawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Funahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maseki
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Harunori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kamihira
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Maseki Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Narita Clinic, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Urology, Komaki Municipal Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryohei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hattori
keywords: benign prostatic hyperplasia; bother; lower urinary tract symptoms; quality of life; tamsulosin