Role of voiding and storage symptoms for the quality of life before and after treatment in men with voiding dysfunction

Abstract

Purpose: Previous studies on associations between voiding dysfunction and quality of life (QoL) have largely been limited to baseline data. Therefore, we have explored associations between Qmax and voiding and storage sub-scores of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) before and after treatment with QoL. Methods: Analysis of a single-center database of 2,316 men with voiding dysfunction attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing various medical and surgical treatment forms. Results: Qmax exhibited little correlation with QoL before or after treatment. IPSS inversely correlated with QoL at baseline and after treatment, and IPSS improvements correlated with those of QoL. The associations applied to both the voiding and storage sub-score of the IPSS, with the latter consistently exhibiting somewhat tighter associations. Conclusions: Our post-treatment data support the idea of a cause-effect relationship between voiding symptoms and QoL irrespective of treatment form. While both voiding and storage symptoms contribute to this relationship, storage symptoms play a somewhat greater role. © The Author(s) 2009.