Can we define and characterize the aging lower urinary tract?-ICI-RS 2015.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Urology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms prevalence increases with age, but the underlying causes are not fully understood.
• Aging impacts bladder and outflow tract function, including external sphincter skeletal muscle and sacral motor nerve control.
• Nocturia, a key LUT dysfunction symptom, is more common in older adults, with blunted diurnal rhythms potentially playing a role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify research directions clarifying the etiology of age-related lower urinary tract (LUT) symptoms.
• To investigate whether biological age or accumulated factors drive LUT dysfunction.
• To explore the links between aging, inflammation, ischemia, and neurological changes affecting LUT function.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of current research on aging and LUT function.
• Exploration of the roles of inflammation, ischemia, and hormonal/hemodynamic diurnal rhythms.
• Investigation of central nervous system control changes and white matter hyperintensities in aging.

Main Results:

• Aging is associated with changes in bladder morphology, outflow tract function, and central nervous system control.
• Inflammatory states, tissue ischemia, and blunted diurnal rhythms are implicated in LUT dysfunction.
• The relationship between white matter hyperintensities and LUT dysfunction in aging requires further elucidation.

Conclusions:

• A more systematic approach is emerging to connect age-accumulated factors with LUT dysfunction.
• Precise causal pathways linking aging to LUT symptoms require further characterization.
• Future research should focus on unraveling the complex interplay of biological, physiological, and neurological factors in age-related LUT dysfunction.