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Updated: Jun 9, 2025

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Relationship between the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and decreased functional bladder capacity
Ali Hamidi Madani1, Bahador Heidari Bateni1, Aseme Pourrajabi2
1Urology Research Center, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Insights
Lower functional bladder capacity (FBC) may predict higher Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk in men experiencing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This finding highlights a potential link between bladder function and cardiovascular health in aging men.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global cause of mortality.
- Non-classical risk factors, including lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), are increasingly recognized in CVD.
- Both CVD and LUTS disproportionately affect aging populations and share common vascular risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk and functional bladder capacity (FBC) in men with LUTS.
- To investigate potential shared pathways or predictive relationships between these conditions.
Main Methods:
- The study included 86 men aged 40-79 with LUTS complaints.
- Data collected included digital rectal examinations, blood tests (total cholesterol, HDL), urinalysis, and a 24-hour voiding diary.
- The ASCVD score was calculated using age, sex, race, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, blood pressure, and lipid levels.
Main Results:
- 46 patients were classified as low ASCVD risk and 40 as high ASCVD risk.
- 47 patients exhibited decreased functional bladder capacity (FBC).
- Logistic regression indicated age predicts decreased FBC, and decreased FBC predicts higher cardiovascular disease risk (p=0.002).
Conclusions:
- Decreased functional bladder capacity (FBC) appears linked to elevated predicted cardiovascular event rates in men with LUTS.
- FBC may serve as a novel predictor for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk.
Purpose:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Recently, non-classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), have gained attention. Both CVD and LUTS are prevalent among aging populations and share common vascular risk factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease risk and functional bladder capacity among men with LUTS.
Methods:
This study was conducted on 86 men aged 40-79 with complaints of LUTS who were asked for digital rectal examinations, blood tests on serum total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and mid-stream urine tests for microscopy and culture. For evaluating patients' LUTS, a 24-h voiding diary was asked. The atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) score comprises the patient's current age, sex, race, diabetes mellitus status, smoking status, hypertension status, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and HDL levels.
Results:
According to the ASCVD score, 46 and 40 patients were categorized as low and high risks for cardiovascular diseases, respectively. Based on the FBC, 47 patients had decreased FBC and the rest were normal. According to logistic regression, it was determined that age can be considered a predictive variable for decreased FBC and the lower FBC can be considered as a predictive factor in the high-risk group for cardiovascular diseases (p = 0.002).
Conclusion:
It seems that decreased FBC is related to a higher predicted cardiovascular event rate in men with LUTS and could be considered a predictor of ASCVD risk.
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