Department of Health and Human Services - www.hhs.gov
Department of Health and Human Services - www.hhs.gov
healthfinder.gov - A Service of the National Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

 

healthfinder.gov Home   |   About Us   |   News   |   Health Library   |   Consumer Guides   |   Organizations   |   En Español   |   Kids   |   Contact Us

Home > News

Severe Urinary Problems Boost Death Risk in Older Men

Those over 45 face an almost 24-fold increase in mortality, study says

  • E-mail this article
  • Subscribe to news
  • Printer friendly version
  • (SOURCE: BMJ Online First, news release, Nov. 9, 2007)

    FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- As many as 25 percent of men over age 45 admitted to hospital with acute urinary retention (AUR) die within a year, a death risk comparable to that of patients with a broken hip, a new study says.

    AUR, the sudden inability to pass urine, is a medical emergency. The condition is often a progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate that can interfere with normal urine flow. AUR may also be linked to the presence of other disorders such as diabetes and high blood pressure, according to background information in the study, which was published Nov. 9 by BMJ Online First.

    The study authors, from the University College London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, analyzed data on more than 176,000 English men over the age of 45 who were hospitalized for treatment of a first episode of AUR between 1998 and 2005.

    The researchers found that one in seven of the men with spontaneous AUR (no evidence of precipitating factors other than benign prostatic hyperplasia), and one in four with precipitated AUR, died within one year.

    The risk of death increased with age and the presence of other health problems (comorbidity). About half the AUR patients over age 85 with comorbid conditions died within a year after being hospitalized.

    The researchers calculated that the overall one-year death risk for men admitted to hospital with AUR was two to three times higher than for the general male population. Among AUR patients ages 45 to 54, the death risk was nearly 24 times higher.

    AUR patients may benefit from urgent multidisciplinary care to identify and treat comorbid conditions early, the researchers concluded.

    More information

    The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about prostate enlargement.

    Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.  External Links Disclaimer Logo

    HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder.gov does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in the news, visit the healthfinder.gov health library.

    healthfinder.gov logo USA dot Gov: The U.S. Government’s Official Web Portal
    footer shadow