research
Normal values and determinants of urogenital tract (dys)function in older men: The Krimpen Study
- Publication date
- 9 October 2002
- Publisher
- Although symptoms of the lower urogenital tract are common and bothersome in older men,H it
seems that only a small percentage of men visit their general practitioner for these symptoms.4•5
With the ageing of the population, the number of men consulting their physician will increase
significantly, with a related demand on health care resources. There are various guidelines for the
evaluation and treatment of such symptoms,6•8 but these all suffer from a common drawback: in the evaluation of lower urogenital tract symptoms physicians are still hampered by a lack of consensus
on definitions and normal values, by a lack of insight into their natural history and, consequently, by
the lack of unambiguous diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
This thesis addresses some of these problems by applying basic epidemiologic research methods to
the following topics. The main research questions addressed in this work are:
1. What is the prevalence of LUTS in the Dutch community?
2. What is the prevalence and incidence of clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia, according to
different definitions?
3. What are the normal values for the various components of lower urinary tract function, such as
nocturnal and diurnal voiding frequency, urine production patterns, nocturnal urine production,
average and functional bladder capacity, 24-hour voided volumes, prostate size, uroflowmetry and
post void residual urine volumes?
4. What are appropriate definitions of abnormality for these parameters, especially in relation to
LUTS or other conditions?
5. What is the natural history of LUTS, clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia and other urogenital
tract parameters?
6. What is the prevalence and incidence of erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction?
7. What are the main determinants of these conditions?
8. What is the relation between LUTS and erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction?
9. What is the prevalence of sexual activity in relation to erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction?
10. How do LUTS and erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction relate to health status, separately and in
conjunction with other medical conditions and sociodemographic factors?
To address these questions, the Krimpen Study on male urogenital tract dysfunction and general
wellbeing is being conducted.