Urinary flow curve patterns and their prognostic value in males over the age of 50 years

Flow curves from two groups of men over the age of 50 years were compared. One group consisted of 112 initially asymptomatic men, controlled with history, uroflowmetry, and symptom score over a 7-year period. The other group consisted of 85 men treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Five flow curve patterns were defined, and each flow curve was classified according to the definitions. A significant difference was found comparing untreated and treated males, as 78% of the flow curves in the untreated group were type 1 or 2 and 16% were type 3 or 4 compared to 56% and 37%, respectively, in the treated group. The risk of need of operation in the initially asymptomatic group as a whole was 17% over a 7-year period versus 25% to 44% if the initial flow curve was type 3 or 5, i.e., severely abnormal. Analysis of the influence of age on flow curve pattern revealed a significant shift from “normal” to “abnormal” as age advanced. In conclusion, flow curve patterns, reflecting the voiding process, shifts from normal to abnormal even in subjectively normal men as age advances. At the same time the flow curve seems to be of some prognostic value as to need of operative treatment in voiding problems.