Impact of LUTS on treatment‐related behaviors and quality of life: A population‐based study in Brazil

AIMS: To report on the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) on treatment‐related behaviors and quality of life in Brazilian adults greater than or equal to 40 years. METHODS: Data were from a computer‐assisted telephone survey conducted in Brazil between 1 September and 31 December 2015 (Brazil LUTS study). Participants were adults greater than or equal to 40 years with landlines living in major cities from five geographical regions in Brazil. Participants rated how often they experienced individual LUTS during the previous month and associated bother, and the impact on quality of life (QoL), treatment seeking, treatment, treatment satisfaction, and treatment discontinuation. Multiple logistic regression models were adjusted to analyze the simultaneous effects of predictor variables on each dependent variable. RESULTS: When the presence of LUTS was defined as symptoms occurring less than half the time or more, one‐quarter of respondents sought treatment but 6% fewer actually received treatment. Of these, around 25% reported dissatisfaction with treatment and almost 10% reported treatment discontinuation. The occurrence of some symptoms and, in particular, the resultant bother were significantly related to worse QoL and to treatment‐related outcomes, such as treatment seeking, actual treatment, treatment dissatisfaction, and treatment discontinuation. Symptoms of all three categories were associated with all these domains for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first population‐based study carried out in South America showing that treatment seeking and treatment rates for LUTS are low. Since the LUTS prevalence is high, this reinforces the importance of a comprehensive medical assessment, focusing on the resulting bother, for more appropriate and personalized patient management.