People who are obese and lead unhealthy lifestyles are more likely to suffer from a larger number of urinary problems, according to a population-based study of more than 5,000 men and women published in the May issue of the UK-based urology journal BJU International. Researchers hope the results will help clinicians to understand why problems occur and how they can be managed more effectively.
According to the Boston Area Community Health Survey (BACH), other health issues that increase the risk of multiple lower urinary tract symptoms include diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Women who have had hysterectomies and other gynaecological surgery also face an elevated risk, as do men who have undergone prostate or bladder surgery.
People who are older and have a lower social economic status are also more likely to experience complex problems.
The study, which received funding from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases – part of the USA’s National Institutes of Health - looked at the urological symptoms of 5,506 residents in Boston, Massachusetts. All were aged between 30 and 70 and 42 per cent were male. 34 per cent were white, 32 per cent were black and 34 per cent were Hispanic.
All the participants took part in detailed one-to-one interviews, which included urological symptoms, other medical conditions, physical characteristics such as weight and waist circumference, education, income and behavioural and psychosocial factors.
By carrying out a statistical analysis of the results, the researchers were able to group the participants with urological symptoms into distinct patterns or clusters, four for the women and five for the men. Using this method enabled the team to examine the relationship between complex urological problems and other health conditions or lifestyle factors.
“The cluster analysis method is highly objective and make no assumptions about which men or women are more likely to suffer from these common conditions” explains Dr Raymond C Rosen, Senior Scientist at the New England Research Institutes in Massachusetts.
“These results will hopefully aid our understanding of why urological problems occur and how we can manage these conditions more effectively”.
Three-quarters of the women who took part in the survey reported at least one of the 14 urological symptoms included in the study.
Key findings included:
Just over two-thirds of the men who took part in the study (69 per cent) reported urological symptoms.
“The findings of the BACH survey are very useful for clinicians and health promotion experts as they provide evidence of a wide range of factors that influence lower urinary tract symptoms, such as age, other illnesses, lifestyle, economic status and race” says Dr Rosen.
“They underline the importance of clinicians carrying out a thorough urological assessment of patients who fall into these high risk groups.”
“And they also provide a useful basis for future research into this highly complex area.”
The BACH Survey was carried out by investigators from the New England Research Institutes, led by Dr John B McKinlay. Their findings are summarised in two papers in BJU International – on the male and female studies - written in collaboration with urology experts from Cornell University in New York and the University of Texas and medical researchers from Pfizer Inc.
Notes to editors
BJU International