Functional Balance and Gait Characteristics in Men With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

• Published in: American journal of men's health 2019-05, Vol.13 (3), p.1557988319839879
• Main Authors: Al-Yahya, Emad, Mohammad, Maha T., Muhaidat, Jennifer, Demour, Saddam Al, Qutishat, Dania, Al-Khlaifat, Lara, Okasheh, Rasha, Lawrie, Sophie, Esser, Patrick, Dawes, Helen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Gait; Geriatric Assessment; Humans; Independent Living; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms - etiology; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms - physiopathology; Male; Original; Postural Balance; Prostatic Hyperplasia - complications; Prostatic Hyperplasia - physiopathology
• ISSN: 1557-9883; 1557-9891; 1557-9891
• DOI: 10.1177/1557988319839879

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare gait characteristics and functional balance Babilities in men with LUTS secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to those of community-dwelling older adults under different conditions of increasing difficulties, and to aid health-care providers to identify those patients with decreased level of activity and increased risk of falls. We recruited a group of 43 men diagnosed with symptomatic BPH and a control group of 38 older men. Participants performed the timed up and go and 10-m walking tests under different conditions—namely, single task, dual-task motor, and dual-task cognitive. Time to complete the tests and spatial and temporal gait parameters were compared between groups and conditions via mixed-design ANOVA. Under dual-task conditions, individuals in both groups performed significantly worse compared to the single functional balance and walking tasks. As the complexity of the walking task increased—from dual-task motor to dual-task cognitive—significant differences between groups emerged. In particular, men with BPH performed worse than older adults in tasks demanding increased attentional control. Results suggest that dual-task decrements in functional balance and gait might explain decreased level of physical activity and increased risk of falls reported in men with LUTS. Health-care providers for men with LUTS due to BPH should assess for abnormal gait and remain vigilant for balance problems that may lead to decreased mobility and falls. The dual-task approach seems a feasible method to distinguish gait and balance impairments in men with BPH.