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Back to Urology Articles
Monday 14th November, 2005
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As men grow older their bladder function can worsen and the
prostate may be responsible, Mayo Clinic reports.
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ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers studying
prostate problems in men report in the current issue of the
Journal of Urology that as men grow older their bladder
function can worsen and the prostate gland may be
responsible.
Their findings remind patients and their physicians that
urination difficulties in men can be better cared for at early
onset. Additionally, the study notes that as men age, the
possibility increases that they will experience problems with
urination.
"What we know is that many men ignore their symptoms and do not
seek assistance with their physician until much later," said Andrew
Rule, M.D., nephrologist and epidemiologist at Mayo Clinic and the
lead author of the study. "What happens is men can end up with a
bladder not working, perhaps needing a bladder catheter all the
time. They also become at increased risk for bladder infections and
even kidney failure problems."
The researchers looked at information in men from two tests:
post-void residual and voided volume. The post-void residual test
involved men urinating and then having an ultrasound scan to
determine how much urine remained in the bladder. The voided volume
test measured how much urine men could void with a full bladder.
Dr. Rule said that both tests are difficult to interpret in a
patient because they can yield varying results with the same person
each time. However, because the study relied on hundreds of men with
multiple visits, those variations could be lessened. The study
looked at a random sample of 529 men, ages 40 to 79, who were
followed with the two tests every two years for up to 12 years.
Dr. Rule says the study presents some new data on the natural
history of the post-void residual and void volume in men as they
age.
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"What was interesting is that as men aged, their post-void residual
increases but eventually levels off," he says. "On the other hand,
voided volume decreased as men aged and did so at an increasingly
rapid rate. These findings were consistent with the development of a
stiff, weak and overactive bladder in men as they age."
Not all men were at equal risk for these changes to occur. "Men
with signs or symptoms of a prostate obstruction were more likely to
have worsening bladder function," said Dr. Rule. "It isn't
necessarily prostate cancer, but the prostate's enlargement with
aging that gives men greater problems in urinating."
He advises patients to consult their physicians if they notice
changes in their urination such as a slow stream, straining, and the
feeling of not being able to empty their bladders. Also, having to
urinate frequently or multiple times at night deserves a visit to
the doctor. Medications and surgical options for treating prostate
obstruction can preserve bladder function.
The research team also included: Debra Jacobson, Michaela Mc Gree,
Cynthia Girman, Dr. P.H., Michael Lieber, M.D., and Steven Jacobsen,
M.D., Ph.D., all of Mayo Clinic.
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Sources:
- Mayo Clinic
- The Journal of Urology is the official journal of the
American Urological Society and publishes studies on critical
areas of research and practice, survey articles and clinical
observations.
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