FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Central obesity, as measured by waist circumference (WC), is associated with worse voiding, and men with a higher WC may be at increased risk of male pelvic dysfunction, according to a study published in the August issue of BJU International.
Richard K. Lee, M.D., from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York City, and colleagues examined the association between WC and problems with voiding function, and specifically whether WC is predictive of the severity of voiding dysfunction, in a cohort of 409 consecutive men aged ≥40 years. Participants with moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms, with no previous treatment, were divided into three groups according to WC (<90, 90 to 99, and ≥100 cm).
The researchers found that WC correlated positively with prostate volume, serum prostate-specific antigen, and International Prostate Symptom Score. An increased WC (>90 cm) also correlated with urinary frequency (at least eight voids per 24 hours) and nocturia (at least two voids per night). Greater prevalence of hypertension, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity was significantly associated with higher WC, as was the presence of erectile and ejaculatory dysfunction.
"Increased WC is associated with worsened voiding function. Patients with higher WC are therefore at increased risk for male pelvic dysfunction," the authors write. "Waist circumference may represent an easy diagnostic tool to elucidate the presence of occult voiding dysfunction."
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