NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who describe a history of gonorrhea or young-onset prostatitis appear to be at increased risk for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) later in life, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology for November 1.

The findings stem from a case-control study of over 22,000 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), senior author Dr. Elizabeth A. Platz, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues note. The subjects included 4608 with LUTS and 17,967 without LUTS.

As part of the HPFS, the subjects were surveyed in 1992 about their history of sexually transmitted infections, prostatitis, ejaculation frequency, surgery for an enlarged prostate, and LUTS. The prostate surgery and LUTS information was updated every 2 years.

A history of gonorrhea was the biggest risk factor for LUTS, increasing the odds by 76%, the report indicates. Young-onset prostatitis raised the risk by 55%, but ejaculation frequency in early adulthood had no bearing on the risk.

"These results suggest that early genitourinary infections may contribute to later development of LUTS, although confirmation in additional population settings is warranted," the investigators state.

Am J Epidemiol 2005;162:898-906

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