Introduction Sexual dysfunction (SD) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent in men and increase with age. Previous studies have shown that LUTS and SD are highly associated in men, but most have not distinguished between voiding and storage LUTS. Aims Assess impact of voiding and storage LUTS on recorded diagnosis of SD in men in U.K. general practice. Methods Identified records of patients with SD and storage (e.g., overactive bladder) and voiding LUTS (e.g., benign prostatic hyperplasia) from a population-based study using The Health Improvement Network database with records from 333 general practices. Study period was 2000–2007; study population was men aged ≥ 18 years. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence rates of SD, and storage and voiding LUTS on January 1 of each year from 2000 to 2007. Results Overall prevalence of recorded SD rose from 1.7% in 2000 to 4.9% in 2007. The prevalence of storage and voiding LUTS also increased. Median age at diagnosis was 60 years for erectile dysfunction (ED), 62 years for other SD, 62 years for storage LUTS, and 61 years for voiding LUTS. Compared to men with no LUTS, odds ratios (95% CI) for ED were as follows: storage LUTS, 3.0 (2.6–3.4); voiding LUTS, 2.6 (2.4–2.7); and both voiding and storage LUTS, 4.0 (3.4–4.8). Among the 11,327 men with any recorded LUTS and ED at the beginning of 2007, LUTS diagnosis preceded SD in 63.1% of patients by a mean of 4.8 years. Conclusions Prevalence of SD was significantly higher in the presence of either storage or voiding LUTS compared to men with no recorded LUTS. The diagnosis of LUTS preceded SD in the majority of cases. Further research into the interrelationships between functional problems of the genitourinary tract may have implications for current treatment approaches and future therapeutic developments.

Diagnosis of both storage and voiding LUTS occurs at much lower rates than indicated by prevalence estimates. Despite the availability of effective prescription therapies, many men with storage and/or voiding LUTS may not be receiving appropriate treatment in UK general practice.

No abstract