Depression, LUTS and ED Relation in Elderly Men

Objectives: Depression unfortunately, remains an under-recognized and misdiagnosed condition, especially in the aging population. We aimed to research the relation of depression, LUTS and ED in elderly men.
Methods: In this prospective study, 364 elder male patients were evaluated. For depression research in patients, Beck's Depression Index (BDI) was used. Lower urinary tract symptoms of patients were evaluated by International prostatic symptoms score (IPSS) examination form and Erection quality was evaluated with International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF 5-15) examination form. According to evaluation results, patients were assigned as Group 0: Mild LUTS and no ED (IPSS<7 - IIEF>26), Group 1: Patients describing only moderate and severe LUTS, Group 2: Patients describing only ED (IIEF<26), Group 3: Patients describing both LUTS and ED (IPSS>7 - IIEF<26).
Results: A significant difference was observed between depression states of patients and their LUTS and IIEFs. Depression risk for the Group 3 was monitored to increase by 5.4 fold (p=0.012) according to the Group 0.
Conclusions: ED, LUTS and depression are all common conditions that accompany aging and significantly negatively impact quality of life. So this patient group can be treated more successful by a multidisciplinary approach.