Lower urinary tract symptoms impair the quality of life in maintenance hemodialysis patients

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BackgroundWith aging, and as the duration of their dependence on dialysis becomes longer, maintenance hemodialysis patients experience decreased urine volume and lose the need to urinate. It is not known whether lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) affect the quality of life (QOL) in maintenance hemodialysis patients. We report an observational study that used validated questionnaires to evaluate LUTS and the influence of LUTS on QOL in a group of maintenance hemodialysis patients.MethodsStable patients who were on maintenance hemodialysis were surveyed with the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score and International Prostate Symptom Score, as the disease-specific validated questionnaires for overactive bladder and benign prostatic hypertrophy, to assess the LUTS and with King’s Health Questionnaire to assess the influence of LUTS on QOL.ResultsThis study included 131 patients with a mean age and hemodialysis duration of 69.1 years and 98.1 months. The disease-specific validated questionnaires found that 20 patients of them experienced LUTS. The mean QOL score of King’s Health Questionnaire was significantly impaired (p < 0.01), and hemodialysis duration was significantly shorter (p < 0.01) in the LUTS patients than in the non-LUTS patients. Single and multiple regression analysis showed that LUTS was independently associated with the QOL score of King’s Health Questionnaire (correlation coefficient 0.292; 95% confidence interval 20.36–89.47; p < 0.01).ConclusionsLUTS exists in maintenance hemodialysis patients and impairs the QOL of them assessed with the validated questionnaires. Urological interventions may contribute to improving the QOL of maintenance hemodialysis patients who experiences LUTS.