Prevalence of the lower urinary tract symptoms in men aged 50 years and above: A homoeopathic hospital-based study

Abstract

Objectives: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in men and increase with age; more than 50% of men over 50-years-old are affected. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common cause of LUTS such as urgency, frequency, and obstruction of urination and retention of urine. LUTS hamper patients’ life and occupation as well. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of LUTS in men aged 50 years and above and association between LUTS severity and age in men. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the outpatient department of the hospital attached to Homoeopathy University, Jaipur from October to December 2019. A total of 360 men aged 50 years and above were enrolled. They were screened using the American urological association symptom index and graded as having mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. For statistical analysis, Spearman’s correlation test and Chi-square test were applied with 95% confidence interval. Results: The prevalence of moderate to severe LUTS was 72.5% (n = 261; 95% confidence interval: 0.701–0.748). The adjusted analysis revealed that the incidence of LUTS was 64.6% (n = 115/178), 78.86% (n = 97/123), 82.22% (n = 37/45), and 85.71% (n = 12/14) in the age groups of 50–59 years, 60–69 years, 70–79 years, and 80–89 years, respectively. The severity of LUTS showed an increasing trend with increasing age (P < 0.05). Conclusion: LUTS are very common in men aged 50 years and above and their severity level increases with increasing age. The study also showed a positive correlation between patient age and the severity score of LUTS.