The association between lower urinary tract symptoms and renal function in men: a cross-sectional and 5-year...

We assessed the association between LUTS and renal function in men in a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study.

Men participating in health investigation in Vienna entered this study. In the cross-sectional analysis a consecutive series of men were studied and in the longitudinal analysis men were reevaluated after 5 years. LUTS were assessed by I-PSS and renal function was evaluated by GFR, as calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault equation.

A total of 2.469 men with a mean age of 47.1 years (range 30 to 80) entered the cross-sectional study and 439 with a mean age of 51.7 years (range 45 to 79) could be assessed in longitudinal analysis. In the cross-sectional study there was no association between the degree of LUTS and GFR during 5 life decades (p = 0.55). An identical pattern was observed for irritative and obstructive scores. In the longitudinal cohort mean GFR +/- SD decreased from 84.3 +/- 20.2 ml per minute at baseline to 79.2 +/- 18.7 ml per minute after 5 years (-6.0%, p <0.0001). The mean decrease in GFR after 5 years was 4.5 ml per minute (-5.4%) in men without/mild LUTS (I-PSS 7 or less at ages 55.4 +/- 11.0 years), 3.9 ml per minute (-4.9%) in those with moderate LUTS (I-PSS 8 to 20 at ages 61.3 +/- 11.6 years) and 4.2 ml per minute (-5.2%) in those with severe LUTS (I-PSS greater than 20 at ages 64.3 +/- 7.4 years). On linear regression analysis in the 2 study cohorts neither I-PSS, nor obstructive or irritative score affected GFR (p >0.05). The only determinants for GFR less than 90 ml per minute were age (p <0.0001) and hypertension (p <0.0001).

LUTS do not represent an independent risk factor for impaired renal function in men.