Researchers find possible link between metabolic syndrome, LUTS

NEW YORK Researchers last week announced that individuals with mild to severe lower urinary tract symptoms are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a collection of cardiovascular risk factors thought to be linked by insulin resistance.

In a study published in the August 2009 issue of The Journal of Urology, researchers explored the possible association of LUTS with metabolic syndrome using data from the Boston Area Community Health Survey, including 2,301 men between the ages of 30 and 79 who were interviewed, and an analysis of another 1,899 men who provided blood samples.

“These findings have important diagnostic and management implications,” study authors stated. “Patients who present with components of metabolic dysfunction should be routinely queried with respect to urological function, particularly voiding symptoms such as intermittency, incomplete emptying and nocturia, as well as the degree of associated bother.”