ADVERSE-EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS ON URINARY SYMPTOMS AND FLOW-RATE - A COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

The relationship between urinary symptoms and medication use was inves tigated in a community-based cross-sectional study involving a random sample of 2115 men 40-79 years of age in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Th e American Urological Association Symptom Index (AUASI) was generated from a validated self-administered questionnaire. Medication use was a ssessed by in-person interviews. While 1087 men reported daily medicat ion use, only 136 reported daily use of medications known to affect ur inary function adversely, including antidepressants (42), antihistamin es (23), and bronchodilators (43). Age adjusted AUASI scores were high er in men reporting daily use of antidepressants, and the association persisted after additionally adjusting for the Depression and Anxiety subscales of the General Psychological Well-Being Scale (adjusted mean difference, 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.5-3.6; p = 0.008). T he adjusted AUASI was also higher among men who took antihistamines da ily (adjusted mean difference, 2.3; 95% CZ, 0.3-4.3; p = 0.03). Lower age-adjusted urinary flow rates occurred with antidepressants, but not with antihistamines or bronchodilators. Clinicians evaluating men for causes of voiding dysfunction in accordance with the Agency for Healt h Care Policy and Research practice guideline for the diagnosis and ma nagement of benign prostatic hyperplasia should be aware that daily us e of antidepressants or antihistamines may be associated with AUASI sc ores that are two to three points higher than in men not taking these medications.