Depression, sleep disturbance tied to urinary symptoms in men with LUTS

In men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), urinary symptom subdomains show an independent association with modifiable clinical variables such as sleep quality and depression at all time points, a study has found. However, these variables do not predict the degree of improvement in LUTS after assessment and treatment over the medium term.

“Bidirectional assessment and randomized experiments may improve our understanding of these relationships,” the investigators said.

This study analysed data from 518 men in the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network study to describe relations between Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and physical function measures and LUTS subdomains, as derived from the American Urological Association Symptom Index and LUTS Tool.

The investigators also examined the associations between PROMIS measures and LUTS subdomains at baseline and at 3- and 12-month follow-up using multivariable linear regression.

Baseline depression and anxiety correlated with urinary incontinence (p<0.001), voiding symptoms (p<0.001), and quality of life (QoL; p=0.002). On the other hand, baseline sleep disturbance correlated with voiding and storage symptoms and QoL (p<0.0010 for all).

At 3 and 12 months, improvement of urinary symptom severity was seen in all subdomains. Similar associations were noted between PROMIS measures and LUTS subdomains at all time points. However, baseline depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and physical function measures were not associated with longitudinal trajectories of LUTS.