According to a study in the October issue of the urology journal BJUI, it is estimated that by the year 2018, almost half of all individuals worldwide over the age of 20 (approximately 2.3 billion people) will experience at least one lower urinary tract symptom, causing a worldwide increase of 18% in only one decade.

Other conditions like incontinence, which are more prevalent as individuals age, will also increase, particularly in South America, Asia and Africa.

Lead author Dr Debra E Irwin from the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, USA, explains:

“Our study suggests that urinary and bladder symptoms are already highly prevalent worldwide and that these rates will increase significantly as the population ages.

These findings raise a number of important worldwide issues that will need to be tackled, as a matter of urgency, by clinicians and public health experts if we are to prevent, and manage, these conditions.”

The investigators worked out the prevalence and how many individuals aged 20+ were affected by the condition in 2008 by using data on gender and age from two important sources:

Worldwide and regional population estimates from the US Census Bureau International Data Base The EPIC study, a large population-based, cross-sectional telephone survey of over 19,000 individuals in five countries, led by Dr Irwin.

In order to provide 2013 and 2018 estimates for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), overactive bladder (OAB), urinary incontinence (UI) and LUTS suggestive of bladder outlet obstruction (LUTS/BOO), researchers extrapolated the data, using the current symptom definitions from the International Continence Society.

Dr. Irwin, says:

“It is well known that people do not always seek medical attention for urinary problems, so basing our figures on studies using self-reported symptoms is an effective way of measuring worldwide prevalence.”

Key discoveries of the examination include:

  • By the year 2018, the worldwide prevalence of LUTS will rise to just under 46%, affecting 47% of women and 45% of men.
  • The number of individuals experiencing at least one LUTS will have increased to 18% between the years 2008 and 2018, affecting an estimated 2.3 individuals worldwide. The biggest increase will be in Africa (30%), followed by South America (20.5%), Asia (20%), North America (16%) and Europe (2.5%).
  • Between 2008 and 2018 OAB will have increased by 20%, affecting approximately 546 million individuals, Africa will see the biggest increase (31%), followed my South America (22%), Asia (22%), North America (18%) and Europe (4%).
  • Between 2008 and 2018 UI will have grown by 22%, affecting around 423 million individuals, with the biggest growth in Africa (31%), followed by South America (25%), Asia (24%), North America (18%) and Europe (5%).
  • LUTS/BOO will have increase by 18.5% between these years, affecting an estimated 1.1 billion individuals, Africa with the biggest increase (30%), followed by South America (21%), Asia (20%), North America (16%) and Europe (3%).

Dr Irwin, who collaborated with co-authors from the USA, UK and Sweden, explained:

“We believe that our study underlines the clear and urgent need to improve the awareness, prevention, diagnosis and management of these conditions.

International and national programs that increase public awareness, educate clinicians and implement public health campaigns that tackle the social stigma of LUTS, will be a significant step towards reaching this objective.

These public health programs would need to be adapted by region, because countries often differ in their healthcare resources, treatment guidelines and social perceptions.”

The full report on the investigation, funded by Pfizer, provides detailed breakdowns of people with LUTS by gender and year, as well as additional statistics on the increases expected by 2013.

Written by Grace Rattue