Urinary Incontinence and Nocturia in Older Men: Associations with Body Mass, Composition and Strength in the Health ABC Study

AbstractPurpose:Among younger men, lower body mass is associated with fewer urinary symptoms, including incontinence and nocturia. However, lower body mass may have different implications for older men due to age-associated muscle atrophy and decreased strength.Materials and Methods:We conducted a prospective analysis of community-dwelling men, aged 70 to 79, in the multicenter Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study who underwent measurement of body mass (physical examination), composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), and strength (grip and lower leg dynamometry). Associations with prevalent incontinence and nocturia (from structured questionnaires), as well as concurrent changes in urinary symptoms over 3 years was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression.Results:Of the 1,298 men analyzed, 22% reported incontinence and 52% reported nocturia at baseline. Higher body mass index and fat mass, as well as lower appendicular lean mass, grip and quadriceps strength (corrected for body mass index), we...