Introduction. Symptoms of the lower urinary tract (LUTS) are an underestimated, socially significant problem, especially in the age cohort of patients. LUTS are usually not life-threatening, but the degree of their negative impact on the quality of life is often underestimated and not considered in clinical practice. International epidemiological studies have shown that LUTS affects more than half of the entire adult population with an exponential increase in older age groups. Currently, in the Russian segment of epidemiological studies, there is an obvious shortage of data on the prevalence of LUTS and the structure in adult patients.
Aim. To determine the prevalence and structure of symptoms of the lower urinary tract in non-urological patients in the age cohort over 40 years old.
Patients and methods. A prospective multicenter epidemiological study was conducted on the basis of data obtained during an anonymous survey of 597 patients who complained to outpatient doctors of a neurological profile: in the period from 2020 to 2022. Inclusion criteria: signing of informed consent to the questionnaire and age over 40 years old. Exclusion criteria: pregnancy and verified urinary tract infection during the month preceding the questionnaire. The questionnaire took into account medical and demographic information, including data on concomitant diseases and ongoing therapy. The classification of the LUTS was carried out according to ICS.
Results and discussion. The prevalence of LUTS in the general sample was 58.5; in men – 60,1%, in women – 56,9%. 3 ICS symptom groups (voiding, storage, and postmicturition) were present in 23,6% (women: 23,1%, men: 24,2%), which makes them the most common symptoms according to the ICS classification. In men, the most common symptoms were nocturia and terminal dribbling (34,9% and 25,2%, respectively). Women have nocturia (40,8%) and frequent urination (31,1%). The prevalence of LUTS had a distinct tendency to increase with age (groups: 40-50 years – 45,8%, 50-60 years – 61,4%, ≥60 years – 70,4%. The total percentage of participants with any LUTS who sought healthcare professionals (consultation of a urologist 1 or more times) regarding the LUTS, it was only 27,8%.
Conclusion. LUTS is an epidemiologically significant symptom complex that is detected in more than half of adult patients older 40 years old and is constantly increasing with age. At the same time, despite the high incidence, there is a paradoxically low appeal of patients to a specialized specialist.
