title: Prevalence and Progression of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in an Aging Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in males of the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our analysis, we included 8627 men, 48-79 years of age, who participated in the fourth follow-up (FUP) of EPIC-Heidelberg (2007-2009) and replied to questions on LUTS. According to the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, men were categorized as having mild (0-7 points), moderate (8-19 points), or severe LUTS (20-35 points). In addition, we examined progression of LUTS among 7821 men, who also participated in FUP 5 (2010-2012).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 75.3% of men who reported mild, 22.0% who reported moderate, and 2.7% who reported severe LUTS. The prevalence increased with age. At FUP 4, 5.8% (mild symptoms) to 39.7% (severe LUTS) of participants reported use of any type of benign prostatic hyperplasia or LUTS medication. Nocturia, that is, getting up at night at least twice, was the most common symptom, followed by incomplete emptying of the bladder and urgency. There were 54.8% of men who reported worse LUTS in FUP 5, but 27.1% reported an improvement in symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  About a quarter of middle-aged and elderly men reported clinically relevant LUTS. Whereas symptoms in some men actually improve, more than half of men experience worsening of symptoms over a 3-year period in time.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: sabine.rohrmann@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rohrmann
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katzke
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaaks
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors