Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) contribute to erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE). However, only a few studies have been conducted with representative groups of men that had well-balanced demographic characteristics. Thus, we aimed to confirm the effect of LUTS on ED and PE and to analyze the association between LUTS and men's sexual activity in a large representative cohort. In addition, we evaluated the sex-specific and overall quality of life of men who had LUTS with either ED or PE.
We used the latest census and estimated the sample size to build a group of men representative of the population. LUTS, ED, and PE were evaluated with reliable instruments. Regression models were used to analyze the data.
All included men were representative in relation to their age and residential location (n = 3001). ED and PE were more common in men who reported LUTS compared with men who did not have LUTS (p < 0.001). Age, comorbidity, and lifestyle did not affect the negative effect of LUTS on ED or PE (regression coefficients of 0.159 and 0.528 for ED and PE, respectively, p < 0.001). However, regression models did not validate the impact of LUTS on sexual activity, defined by intercourse frequency and number of sexual partners (odds ratio of 0.981, CI 0.961-1.001, p = 0.061). Nevertheless, men with LUTS and either ED or PE had worse quality of sexual life and general quality of life compared with the remaining respondents.
LUTS worsened ED and PE but had no impact on men's sexual activity. Our findings confirm the recommendations to assess for LUTS in men reporting ED or PE.
The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05462171).
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). 2024 Jul 15*** epublish ***
Mikolaj Przydacz, Pawel Rajwa, Sabrina De Cillis, Cyrille Guillot-Tantay, Francois Herve, Antonio Tienza Fernandez, Manuela Tutolo, Mehmet Gokhan Culha, Paolo Geretto, Chen Shenhar, Marcin Miszczyk, Piotr Chlosta, Veronique Phe, Nadir Osman, European Association of Urology Young Academic Urologists (EAU YAU) Functional Urology Working Group
Department of Urology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-008 Krakow, Poland., Department of Urology, Medical University of Silesia, 41-808 Zabrze, Poland., Division of Urology, Department of Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, 10124 Orbassano, Italy., Service d'urologie, Hôpital Foch, 92151 Suresnes, France., Department of Urology, ERN Accredited Centrum, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium., Department of Urology, Son Espases University Hospital, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands, 07120 Palma, Spain., Unit of Urology, Division of Oncology, Urological Research Institute, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, 20132 Milan, Italy., Department of Urology, Prof. Dr. Cemil Tascioglu City Hospital, University of Health Sciences, 34668 Istanbul, Turkey., Division of Neuro-Urology, Department of Surgical Sciences, CTO Hospital, Citta della Salute e della Scienza, 10126 Turin, Italy., Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA., Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria., Department of Urology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Tenon Academic Hospital, Sorbonne University, 75020 Paris, France., Department of Urology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK.