Prevalence of urinary symptoms in men aged over 60

The prevalence of urological symptoms in elderly males in the community is poorly documented. A series of 578 men, aged 60 to 85 years and registered with one inner city health centre, completed a self-administered questionnaire which inquired about current urological symptoms. Many symptoms were common, including a lengthening of the time to pass urine (26%), a deterioration in urinary flow (30%), dribbling (26%), urgency (31%), increased day-time frequency (32%) and nocturia (57%); 102 men (18%) gave 5 or more positive responses to the 13 questions relating to urological symptoms. In contrast, during a 2-year period, only 17 men, aged 60 to 85 years, were referred to a urology department from the same health centre. The implications of these findings are discussed.