The study was planned to investigate the relationship between severity of disease and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in males with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

This research was designed as an observational and cross-sectional study. Sixteen men aged between 40 and 75 years who were diagnosed with COPD according to GOLD criteria and clinically stable were included in the study. Socio-demographic informations and clinical status of the participants were recorded. Disease severity and quality of life were evaluated with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), respectively. The LUTS of the participants were assessed with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-MLUTS). Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the parameters. Significance level in statistical analysis was accepted as 0.05.

The mean age and mean body mass index of the participants were 65.18±9.07 years and 26.09±5.35 kg/m2, respectively. According to the CAT score, the disease severity classification of the participants was low in 6%, medium in 13%, high in 44%, and very high in 37%. The mean FEV1/FVC was 57.71±12.75%. It was found that mean total SGRQ score was 64.59±20.17. The ICIQ-MLUTS's mean voiding score, storage score, frequency score, and nocturia score were 7.31±4.3, 5.75±3.04, 1.31±1.53, 2.18±1.27, respectively. It was observed that the rate of daytime frequent urination was 69% and the rate of nighttime urination was 94%. There was a statistically significant positive strong correlation between CAT classification and SGRQ total score (p<0.001, rho:0.808). However, no statistically significant correlation was found between the CAT and the ICIQ-MLUTS score.

The findings of this study highlight a significant relationship between COPD severity and decreased quality of life. Men with COPD are more likely to urinate frequently during the day and urinate at night. The relationship between disease severity and LUTS may be clarified with a larger sample size.

These results suggest that COPD patients may experience a higher prevalence of urinary symptoms, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach to their management. Given these findings, integrating pulmonary rehabilitation with urological assessment and rehabilitation could improve overall patient care and quality of life. Further research with larger sample is essential to better understand the underlying mechanisms and develop targeted interventions.