The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in Brazil: Results from the epidemiology of LUTS (Brazil LUTS) study

Abstract

Aims:We performed the first large population-based study to evaluate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in Brazil. The study objective was to assess the prevalence and bother of LUTS in the population aged ≥40 years in five major cities of Brazil. Methods: This study was conducted as a telephone survey with assessment of LUTS using a standardized protocol, which included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and, for overactive bladder (OAB), the OAB-V8 questionnaire. Participants were asked to rate how often they experienced individual LUTS and the degree of associated bother. Results: Of the 5184 participants, 53% were women, and the age group with most participants (34%) was 50-59 years. The prevalence of LUTS (symptoms occurring less than half the time or more) was 75%: 69% in men and 82% in women. There was a statistically significant association between the frequency and bother intensity of each symptom (P < 0.001). The prevalence of OAB was similar in men and women (25% and 24%, respectively). According to the IPSS questionnaire, moderate-tosevere symptoms were present in 21% of men and 24% of women. LUTS detrimentally affected quality of life in many individuals: 39% would be "mostly dissatisfied," "unhappy," or consider it "terrible" to spend the rest of their life with their urinary condition as it is currently. Conclusions: This was the first nationwide, population-based epidemiological study of LUTS to be performed in Brazil. LUTS are highly prevalent and often bothersome among men and women aged ≥40 years. K E Y W O R D SBrazil, lower urinary tract symptoms, men, prevalence, womenThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Impact of LUTS on treatment‐related behaviors and quality of life: A population‐based study in Brazil

“…Percentages of individuals with LUTS seeking treatment were low, in accordance with previous studies, in which 14% to 33% of individuals sought treatment . Even though LUTS were frequently reported as bothersome and with significant impact on QoL in the Brazil LUTS study, treatment seeking may be impacted by other factors, such as patients’ embarrassment about LUTS, and a wrong perception about LUTS being a “natural” consequence of the aging process and not amenable to treatment . Among Brazilian men, the prominent symptoms associated with worse QoL were splitting, slow stream, urgency, feeling of incomplete emptying, and post‐micturition dribble.…”

“…Strengths of this study are the large sample size and inclusion of different geographical areas. Prior LUTS studies were performed in single cities in Brazil . There were balanced numbers of men and women, and the use of well‐established diagnostic tools.…”

“…In both the EPIC and EpiLUTS studies, the prevalence of storage symptoms was greater than for voiding symptoms, with voiding symptoms more common in men and storage symptoms more common in women . A recent nationwide, population‐based epidemiological study of LUTS in Brazil, the Brazil LUTS study, reported LUTS prevalence as around 75% in adults greater than or equal to aged 40 years, with more women affected than men (82% vs 69%) . Storage symptoms represented the most prevalent category in both sexes, with perceived frequency and nocturia having the highest overall prevalence.…”

“…Generally, storage symptoms were more common in women and voiding symptoms more common in men. The most common voiding symptoms were terminal dribble and slow stream …”

“…Knowing which symptoms and symptom‐specific bother lead men and women to seek treatment is fundamental to the treatment approach in patients with LUTS, and may also be helpful for the design of educational campaigns, health policies, and resource allocation. Therefore, this manuscript reports on the impact of LUTS on QoL, treatment seeking, treatment, treatment satisfaction, and treatment discontinuation in men and women from the Brazil LUTS study …”