Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing
Published on: August 14, 2019
Are lower urinary tract symptoms in men associated with cardiovascular diseases in a primary care population: a
Inge I Bouwman1, Boudewijn J Kollen, Klaas van der Meer
1Department of general practice, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, AV 9713, Netherlands. iibouwman@hotmail.com.
Insights
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men do not predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. This study found no significant association, indicating LUTS is not a reliable early indicator for CVD in primary care settings.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Cardiology
- Primary Care Medicine
Background:
- Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in men and may be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- The unbiased relationship and predictive value of LUTS for CVD development remain unclear.
- Investigating this association is crucial for understanding men's health and disease prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if LUTS can predict the development of CVD in a primary care population.
- To analyze the longitudinal relationship between LUTS and CVD incidence.
- To establish the predictive value of LUTS for cardiovascular events.
Main Methods:
- A registry-based study using longitudinal data from the Registration Network Groningen (RNG).
- Inclusion of men aged 50 years and older from January 1998 to December 2008.
- Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to assess the association between LUTS and CVD.
Main Results:
- Analysis of data from 6614 men revealed increasing prevalence of both LUTS and CVD over the study period.
- Men with LUTS had a higher prevalence of CVD (41.1%) compared to those without LUTS (19.5%).
- The adjusted hazard ratio for CVD in men with LUTS was 0.921 (p = 0.150), indicating no statistically significant predictive value.
Conclusions:
- Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are not a significant predictor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
- LUTS should not be considered a factor for the early detection of CVD in primary care.
- Further research may explore other potential links or confounding factors between LUTS and CVD.
Background:
Although lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) seem to be related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men, it is unclear whether this relationship is unbiased. In order to investigate this relationship, we used longitudinal data for establishing the possible predictive value of LUTS for the development of CVD in a primary care population.
Methods:
We performed a registry study using data from the Registration Network Groningen (RNG). All data from men aged 50 years and older during the study period from 1 January 1998 up to 31 December 2008 were collected. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine the association between the proportions of CVD (outcome) and LUTS in our population.
Results:
Data from 6614 men were analysed. The prevalence of LUTS increased from 92/1000 personyears (py) in 1998 up to 183/1000 py in 2008. For cardiovascular diseases the prevalence increased from 176/1000 py in 1998 up to 340/1000 py in 2008. The incidence numbers were resp. 10.2/1000 py (1998) and 5.1/1000 py (2008) for LUTS, and 12.9/1000 py (1998) and 10.4/1000 py (2008) for CVD. Of all men, 23.2% reported CVD (41.1% in men with LUTS vs 19.5% in men without LUTS, p < 0.01). The hazard ratio of LUTS for cardiovascular events, compared to no LUTS, in the adjusted multivariate model, was 0.921(95% CI: 0.824 - 1.030; p = 0.150).
Conclusion:
Based on the results, LUTS is not a factor that must be taken into account for the early detection of CVD in primary care.
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