Baseline Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients Enrolled in LURN: A Prospective, Observational Cohort Study

PURPOSE: To describe and compare the frequency and type of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) reported by men and women at the time they were recruited from urology and urogynecology clinics into the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) multi-center, prospective, observational cohort study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six research sites enrolled treatment-seeking men and women who reported any LUTS at a frequency more than “rarely” during the past month on the LUTS tool. At baseline, study participants underwent a standardized clinical evaluation and completed validated questionnaires; urological tests were performed, including pelvic/rectal examination, post-void residual, and urinalysis. RESULTS: A total of 545 women and 519 men were enrolled. The mean age was 58.8 ± 14.1 years. At baseline, nocturia, frequency, and a sensation of incomplete emptying were similar between men and women, whereas men experienced more voiding symptoms (90% vs. 85%, p=0.007), and women reported more urgency (85% vs. 66%, p<0.001). Women also reported more urinary incontinence (any type) than men (82% vs. 51% p<0.001), which was predominantly mixed incontinence (57%). Men rarely reported stress incontinence (1%), but did have other urinary incontinence (44% post-void dribbling) or urgency incontinence (46%). Older participants had higher odds of reporting symptoms of nocturia and urgency. CONCLUSION: In this large treatment-seeking cohort of men and women, LUTS varied widely by sex and age. Men reported more voiding symptoms and non-stress or urgency urinary incontinence, whereas women reported more incontinence overall and urgency. Older participants had greater odds of urgency and nocturia.