[Benign prostate hyperplasia. Need to evaluate quality of life in the therapeutic process]. / Hiperplasia benigna de próstata. Necesidad de valorar la calidad de vida en el proceso terapéutico.

OBJECTIVE: To relate the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) to their repercussions on quality of life. DESIGN: Multi-centred, observational, prospective study. SETTING: Primary care. PARTICIPANTS: Men with BPH in 2000-2003. Inclusion criteria were: agreeing to take part, being aged 50-79, and having moderate symptoms evaluated by means of the IPSS questionnaire. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Previous treatment for BPH and having a chronic or disabling illness that might affect perception of quality of life. The presence of irritative and obstructive symptoms was appraised. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The IPSS questionnaire appraising predominant symptoms and, through the last question, quality of life was self-administered. Descriptive statistics were worked out and differences in proportions of the different groups were analysed by the chi2 test, with differences taken as significant at P < .05. RESULTS: We got 536 replies, with average age 66.2. Nycturia was the most common symptom, suffered by 88.1% of patients. A total of 256 patients (47.8%) had irritation as main clinical symptom, and 280 (52.2%), obstruction. On analysing repercussions on quality of life, it was found that obstructive symptoms were worse tolerated: 65.7% versus 9.4% of the group with irritation. CONCLUSIONS: In treating BPH, we must bear in mind preferences of patients. They tolerate obstructive symptoms worse, and these are a criterion for referral to specialists and even surgery.

Hiperplasia benigna de próstata. Necesidad de valorar la calidad de vida en el proceso terapéutico / Benign prostate hyperplasia. Need to evaluate quality of life in the therapeutic process

Objetivo. Relacionar la sintomatología de la hiperplasia benigna de próstata (HBP) con la repercusión sobre la calidad de vida. Diseño. Multicéntrico, observacional y prospectivo. Emplazamiento. Atención primaria. Participantes. Varones de 50 a 79 años con HBP durante el período 2000-2003 con sintomatología moderada (cuestionario IPSS). Criterios de exclusión. Tratamiento previo para la HBP y presentar alguna enfermedad crónica o invalidante que pudiera alterar la percepción de la calidad de vida. Mediciones principales. Se autoadministró el cuestionario IPSS y se valoró la sintomatología predominante y mediante la última pregunta la calidad de vida. Se realizó un estadística descriptiva y se analizó mediante la prueba de la χ2. Resultados. Se realizaron 536 registros; la edad media fue de 66,2 años. Entre los síntomas destaca la nicturia como el más frecuente, con 88,1% de los registros. Se hallaron 256 pacientes (47,8%) con predominio de clínica irritativa y en 280 pacientes (52,2%), obstructiva. Al analizar la repercusión sobre la calidad de vida se obtuvo que los síntomas obstructivos son los peor tolerados (el 65,7 frente al 9,4% del grupo de clínica irritativa). Conclusiones. En el tratamiento de la HBP debemos tener en cuenta las preferencias del paciente, que tolera peor la sintomatología obstructiva que coincide con la que presenta criterio de derivación hacia una consulta especializada e incluso criterio quirúrgico

Objective. To relate the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) to their repercussions on quality of life. Design. Multi-centred, observational, prospective study. Setting. Primary care. Participants. Men with BPH in 2000-2003. Inclusion criteria were: agreeing to take part, being aged 50-79, and having moderate symptoms evaluated by means of the IPSS questionnaire. Exclusion criteria. Previous treatment for BPH and having a chronic or disabling illness that might affect perception of quality of life. The presence of irritative and obstructive symptoms was appraised. Main measurements. The IPSS questionnaire appraising predominant symptoms and, through the last question, quality of life was self-administered. Descriptive statistics were worked out and differences in proportions of the different groups were analysed by the χ2 test, with differences taken as significant at P<.05. Results. We got 536 replies, with average age 66.2. Nycturia was the most common symptom, suffered by 88.1% of patients. A total of 256 patients (47.8%) had irritation as main clinical symptom, and 280 (52.2%), obstruction. On analysing repercussions on quality of life, it was found that obstructive symptoms were worse tolerated: 65.7% versus 9.4% of the group with irritation. Conclusions. In treating BPH, we must bear in mind preferences of patients. They tolerate obstructive symptoms worse, and these are a criterion for referral to specialists and even surgery