Frans P.M.J. Groeneveld

OBJECTIVES: We estimated correlates for erectile dysfunction (ED) (defined as a report of erections of severely reduced rigidity or no erections) and ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD) (defined as a report of ejaculations with significantly reduced volume or no ejaculations) in a large community sample of older men. DESIGN: A community-based study. SETTING: Krimpen aan den IJssel, a municipality near Rotterdam, The Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,688 (50% of the eligible) men age 50 to 78. MEASUREMENTS: Presence of ED and EjD (International Continence Society sex questionnaire), urinary tract symptoms (international prostate symptom score), prostate enlargement (transrectal ultrasonography), urinary flow obstruction (uroflowmetry), obesity (body mass index), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular problems. Determined marital status, educational level, and smoking and drinking habits. Population attributable risk (PAR) was estimated for correlates that yielded from multiple logistic regression models on ED and EjD. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analyses yielded the following correlates for significant ED: age, smoking, obesity, urinary tract symptoms, and treatment for cardiovascular problems and COPD. Age, erectile function, urinary symptoms, and previous prostate operations proved to be correlates for significant EjD. Urinary symptoms and obesity have the highest PAR for ED, whereas decreased erectile function has the highest PAR for EjD. CONCLUSIONS: Age, obesity, and urinary tract symptoms are the most-important correlates of significant ED in the population. Cardiac problems, COPD, and smoking are other independent correlates. Significant EjD is largely related to age, decreased erectile function, and previous prostate surgery.

PURPOSE: We determined the normal value of diurnal and nocturnal voiding frequency, and its determinants in a population based sample of elderly men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected data on 1,688 men 50 to 78 years old recruited from the population of Krimpen, The Netherlands. Measurements consisted of self-administered questionnaires, including the International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS), a 3-day frequency-volume chart, transrectal prostatic ultrasound, uroflowmetry and post-void residual urine volume measurement. RESULTS: Diurnal voiding frequency is independent of age and more frequent in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Nocturia 2 or more times is present in 30% of men 50 to 54 and in 60% of those 70 to 78 years old, while nocturia 3 or more times is present in 4% and 20%, respectively. In addition, nocturia is strongly associated with BPH and nocturnal polyuria but apparently not with cardiovascular symptoms, hypertension or diabetes mellitus. We noted poor agreement of the responses on the frequency-volume charts and the I-PSS question on nocturia. Using the I-PSS leads to a higher prevalence of nocturia. CONCLUSIONS: Diurnal frequency is independent of age (median 5 voids, interquartile range 4 to 6) but higher in men with BPH. Nocturia increases with advancing age and is more frequent in men with nocturnal polyuria. BPH is an independent risk factor for nocturia and increased diurnal voiding frequency. In those with nocturia there is a great difference in subjective symptoms and objective data, indicating that the weight of the I-PSS question on nocturia for making treatment decisions should be reconsidered.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in the community, and study the influence of BPH definition, age and response bias on prevalence rates. Subjects and methods A community-based longitudinal study of 3924 men aged 50-75 years was conducted in a Dutch municipality (Krimpen) near Rotterdam. Data from those responding were collected using self-administered questionnaires, and during visits to the health centre and outpatient clinic of the urology department. The questionnaires included symptom scores on general well being (Inventory of Subjective Health, ISH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (International Prostate Symptom Score, IPSS). A short version of the questionnaire (including the IPSS and ISH) was sent to a random sample of those not responding. All subjects participating fully underwent a physical examination, uroflowmetry, transrectal ultrasonometry of the prostate and had their prostate specific antigen level measured. Age-specific prevalence rates of BPH were estimated using different definitions, based on one or more of symptom severity, prostate volume and maximum flow rate. The influence of response bias was estimated using the questionnaires. RESULTS: The response rate was 50% (full participants). Of those not responding, 55% completed a short version of the questionnaire (partial participants). Compared with full participants, partial participants had a lower IPSS and slightly lower ISH. The prevalence rates of clinical BPH in the study population was 9-20% (95% confidence interval, 8-11% to 22-27%) depending on the definition used. After adjusting for nonresponse bias, the age-group specific prevalences for 5-year age strata were 1.1-1.8 times lower for all BPH definitions used. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rates of clinical BPH depend largely on the definition used and increase strongly with age. The effect of age is stronger when more variables are included in the definition. Adjustment for response bias results in substantially lower prevalence rates.

OBJECTIVE: Incidence of OA rises steeply in women of age >50 years; the climacteric period for women. The simultaneous occurrence of these events suggests an association between OA and changes in female hormonal aspects. This systematic review studies the assumed association between OA and aspects concerning the fertile period (duration, endogenous hormones, age at menarche/menopause) and the menopause [menopausal status, years since menopause (YSM) and surgical menopause]. METHODS: Medline and EMBASE were searched for articles assessing associations between hand/hip/knee OA and female hormonal aspects. Methodological quality was assessed systematically, and results were summarized in a best-evidence synthesis. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included in the present study. For most hormonal aspects no association was found. Conflicting evidence was found for an association of age at menarche with Herberden's nodes (HNs) and hand ROA, YSM with knee ROA and ovariectomy with hip OA. An increased risk was seen for low estradiol serum levels in the early follicular phase with incident knee ROA, age at menarche being < or =11 years old with total hip replacement, being post-menopausal and YSM with the presence of HN. A protective effect was seen for age at menopause being > or =52 years with total knee replacement. Evidence level was limited for all. CONCLUSIONS: The assumed relationship between the female hormonal aspects and OA was not clearly observed in this review. The relationship is perhaps too complex, or other aspects, yet to be determined, play a role in the increased incidence in women aged >50 years.