Prevalence of a Physician-Assigned Diagnosis of Prostatitis: The Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status Among Men

doi:10.1016/S0090-4295(98)00034-X

Urology

Volume 51, Issue 4, April 1998, Pages 578-584

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(98)00034-X Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives. To describe the occurrence of a physician-assigned diagnosis of prostatitis in a community-based cohort.

Methods. A sampling frame of all Olmsted County, Minnesota, male residents was used to randomly select a cohort of men between 40 and 79 years old by January 1, 1990, to participate in a longitudinal study of lower urinary tract symptoms. The 2115 participants (response rate 55%) completed a previously validated self-administered questionnaire that assessed the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms, including a history of prostatitis. Subsequently, all inpatient and outpatient community medical records of participants were reviewed retrospectively for a physician-assigned diagnosis of prostatitis from the date of initiation of the medical record through the date of the last follow-up.

Results. The overall prevalence rate of a physician-assigned diagnosis of prostatitis was 9%. Men identified with the diagnosis of “prostatitis” had symptoms of dysuria and frequency and rectal, perineal, suprapubic, and lower back pain. Among men with a previous diagnosis of prostatitis, the cumulative probability of subsequent episodes of prostatitis was much higher (20%, 38%, and 50% among men 40, 60, and 80 years old, respectively).

Conclusions. These findings indicate that the community-based prevalence of a physician-assigned diagnosis of prostatitis is high, of similar magnitude to that of ischemic heart disease and diabetes. Furthermore, once a man has an initial episode of prostatitis, he is more likely to suffer chronic episodes than men without a diagnosis. Although the pathologic mechanisms underlying these diagnoses are not certain, these data provide a first step toward understanding how frequently the diagnosis occurs in the community.

Section snippets

Material and Methods

Many of the details of the Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status Among Men have been previously published.7, 8Briefly, between December 1989 and March 1991, 5135 white men 40 to 79 years old by January 1, 1990, living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were randomly selected at a 14% sampling fraction within 5-year age and residence (City of Rochester versus balance of Olmsted County)-specific strata. Exclusion criteria included a history of prostate cancer or surgery, bladder

Characteristics of Individual Diagnoses of Prostatitis

The median (25th, 75th percentile) age among the complete cohort of 2113 men was 55 (46, 63) years in 1990. The median (25th, 75th percentile) age at initiation of the medical record was 26 (15, 35) years, and 96% (n = 2035) of men were registered at the Mayo Clinic by age 50 years. There were 390 physician diagnoses of prostatitis in the medical records from the date of initiation of the medical record through the date of last follow-up: 39 diagnoses were acute prostatitis, 285 were

Comment

Our findings suggest that prostatitis is an important cause of morbidity in the adult male. In this population, 1 of every 11 men will have had a physician diagnosis of prostatitis by age 79 years. In addition, these data indicate that once a diagnosis of prostatitis is made, men are more likely to receive subsequent diagnoses of prostatitis (acute or NOS) or a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis at a later date. Our data further demonstrate a dramatic increase in the incidence of prostatitis from

Conclusions

In summary, our results indicate that among men 40 to 79 years old, 1 of every 11 men has a physician diagnosis of prostatitis in their medical record. Furthermore, once a man has a diagnosis of prostatitis, he is much more likely to receive multiple diagnoses of prostatitis or a diagnosis of chronic prostatitis. “Prostatitis” is common. The prevalence of acute prostatitis based on our data is of similar magnitude to that of ischemic heart disease and higher than that of diabetes.[19]Although

Acknowledgements

To the Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status research staff, especially Peg Farrell and Connie Fortner for their assistance in medical record abstraction and Sondra Buehler for skillful preparation of the manuscript.

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^☆: This project was supported by research grants from the Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health (AR30582), and Merck Research Laboratories.

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Urology

Abstract

Section snippets

Material and Methods

Characteristics of Individual Diagnoses of Prostatitis

Comment

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References (20)

Classification of benign diseases associated with prostatic painprostatitis or prostatodynia?

J Urol

Chronic pelvic pains represent the most prominent urogenital symptoms of “chronic prostatitis.”

Urology

The prevalence of prostatisma population-based survey of urinary symptoms

J Urol

Validation of a new quality of life questionnaire for benign prostatic hyperplasia

J Clin Epidemiol

History of the Rochester epidemiology project

Mayo Clin Proc

Prevalence and significance of prostatic inflammation

J Urol

Studies on the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis in prostatitis

J Infect Dis

National ambulatory medical care survey, 1991 summaryNational Center for Health Statistics

Vital Health Stat

Cited by (247)

MRI of the prostate: technique, anatomy, and noncancerous disease processes

Is Serenoa repens effective for the treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS)? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prostate diseases and microbiome in the prostate, gut, and urine

Descriptive analysis of prostatitis in the emergency department

Overview on the clinical presentation and indications: Part B

Opportunistic prostate cancer screening: A population-based analysis

Adult UrologyPrevalence of a Physician-Assigned Diagnosis of Prostatitis: The Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status Among Men☆

Abstract

Section snippets

Material and Methods

Characteristics of Individual Diagnoses of Prostatitis

Comment

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

J Urol

Urology

J Urol

J Clin Epidemiol

Mayo Clin Proc

J Urol

Studies on the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis in prostatitis

J Infect Dis

National ambulatory medical care survey, 1991 summaryNational Center for Health Statistics

Vital Health Stat

Adult Urology
Prevalence of a Physician-Assigned Diagnosis of Prostatitis: The Olmsted County Study of Urinary Symptoms and Health Status Among Men☆