Erectile dysfunction influences the subsequent incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms and bother

• Published in: International journal of impotence research Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 317 - 320
• Main Authors: SHIRI, R, HÄKKINEN, J, KOSKIMÄKI, J, HAKAMA, M, TAMMELA, T. L. J, AUVINEN, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01.06.2007; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - epidemiology; Erectile Dysfunction - microbiology; Finland - epidemiology; Follow-Up Studies; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Health aspects; Humans; Impotence; Incidence; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Male genital diseases; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Non tumoral diseases; Pathophysiology; Risk factors; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract infections; Urinary Tract Infections - complications; Urinary Tract Infections - epidemiology; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; Urogenital system; Finland; Andrology; Urinary system disease; Erection disorders; Impotence; Sexual dysfunction; Urinary tract disease; Urinary tract; Epidemiology; Incidence; Voiding dysfunction; Urinary system; Male genital diseases; Lower urinary tract symptoms
• ISSN: 0955-9930; 1476-5489
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3901526

It is unclear whether lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) cause erectile dysfunction (ED) independently or through common underlying pathophysiology and shared risk factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ED on the incidence of frequency and bother of LUTS. Target population consisted of men aged 50, 60 or 70 years residing in the study area in Finland in 1994. Questionnaires were mailed to 3143 men in 1994 and to 2837 of them 5 years later. The follow-up sample comprised 1683 men who responded to both baseline and follow-up surveys. ED was assessed by two questions on subject's ability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for intercourse and LUTS by the Danish Prostatic Symptom Score questionnaire. A dose-response relation was found between the severity of ED at baseline and the incidence of LUTS or bother during follow-up. After adjustment for the confounders, the incidence rate ratio (RR) of LUTS was higher in men with moderate (RR 1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-2.3) or severe ED (RR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4-3.8) than in those free of ED at entry. Compared with men free of ED at baseline, the RRs of urinary bother were 1.6 (95% CI 1.1-2.4), 1.9 (95% CI 1.1-3.2) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.1-4.3) for minimal, moderate or severe ED, respectively. In summary, ED is associated with an increased incidence of LUTS and bother. ED and LUTS may have a common underlying pathophysiology or shared risk factors.