URINARY SYMPTOMS AND URODYNAMICS IN A NORMAL ELDERLY POPULATION

Age-related changes in the lower urinary tract function were investiga ted by means of symptomatology and urodynamics. In the symptom study s ubjectively normal 168 males and 101 females aged over 30 were adminis tered a questionnaire regarding urinary symptoms. The prevalence of sy mptoms gradually advanced with age and nocturia more than 2 times was dramatically increased up to a half in those aged over 70. In the urod ynamic study involving 65 males and 51 females with low symptom scores , significant reduction with advancing age was noted for maximum now r ate in both sexes (males: r = -0.295, p<0.05, females: r = -0.591, p<0 .01) and maximum detrusor pressure in females (r = -0.513, p<0.01). Th ere was a significant increase in residual urine in males (r = 0.473, p<0.05); otherwise no consistent changes in cystometry and urethral pr essure profile related to aging were detected. These results indicate that urinary symptoms and urodynamic variables may change with age eve n in ''normal'' subjects, and warrant a careful interpretation of them in the elderly subjects.