Lower urinary tract symptoms in men: refocus on your patients.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men are highly prevalent among those aged >50 yr. Contemporary analyses of claim databases in the Western world have shown that LUTS generate millions of prescriptions and thousands of surgical interventions each year, representing a huge economic burden [1]. Moreover, the field of LUTS management is rapidly evolving due to new drug treatment indications and various innovative surgical therapies (eg, laser techniques, urethral lift) [2]. Consequently, it makes sense to produce guidelines for assessing the grade of recommendation for each therapeutic option [2]. In this month’s issue of European Urology, Gratzke et al deliver guidelines for the assessment of non-neurogenic male LUTS including benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) [3]. This approach is of critical importance because the initial diagnostic work-up of the patient presenting LUTS: