Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN II) Urinary Urgency Phenotyping Study: Methods and Baseline Urinary Symptoms by Age and Sex

Aims: To present the methods and baseline findings from a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of treatment seeking adults with urinary urgency (URG) with or without urgency urinary incontinence (UUI). Methods: Adults seeking treatment for URG and/or UUI and controls were enrolled. Participants completed physical examination, urine and serum studies, post-void residual, and validated questionnaires. Results: Data from 809 participants were analyzed. Cases and controls were both predominantly white. The mean overall age of the cases was older (62 vs. 59 years) as was the mean BMI and functional comorbidity index scores. Higher proportions of controls were never smokers. Among cases, bivariate analysis found higher proportions of women reporting URG, URG with fear of leaking, any UI and UUI. Men had higher proportions of often or almost always reporting nocturia. Higher proportions of men reported URG alone and UUI without stress UI. Mixed UI was prevalent among women but rare among men. In logistic regression models, women had higher odds of SUI, UUI, and dysuria compared to men. Men had higher odds of nocturia, intermittency, splitting/spraying, and hesitancy. Older participants had higher odds of UUI, nocturia, any UI, and URG with fear of leakage whereas younger participants had higher odds of stress UI, irritative symptoms. Conclusion: Treatment-seeking adults with URG and/or UUI were older, had higher BMI, worse functional comorbidity index and higher proportions of prior smoking history compared to controls. Among cases, sex and age differences were seen in within the spectrum of URG and UUI.