Bewegen op recept bij plasklachten en erectiestoornissen een haalbaarheidsonderzoek

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) are the most commonly presented complaints at a urological outpatient clinic. Both complaints often occur in combination. Population studies have shown an association between LUTS and ED and heart disease, diabetes and hypertension, often referred to as the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Because lack of physical activity is one of the risk factors to develop MetS, we speculated that an increase of physical activity in men with a sedentary lifestyle would ameliorate their LUTS and ED complaints. Therefore, in preparation of a study into the potentially beneficial effect of an increase of physical activity we explored the willingness of these men to participate in a fitness program. During a period of 3 months all men above the age of 40 who visited the urological outpatient clinic with LUTS and/or ED (n = 49) were questioned about their daily physical activity. Twenty (41%) did not comply with the Dutch Norm of Healthy Physical Activity (DNHPA) and were offered a fitness program free of charge. Four (20%) were excluded from participation because of cardiovascular comorbidity. Fourteen of the remaining 16 men (88%) expressed their willingness to participate in the fitness program. However, only 4 (25%) actively started the program. These 4 have completed respectively 7, 6, 4 and 1 of 8 sessions. With regard to physical activity, the cohort of men that presented themselves with LUTS and/or ED at our OPD did not compare unfavourably (59% complied with the DNHPA) with the Dutch mean. According to recent age-adjusted Dutch population data 54,4% complies with the DNHPA. The disappointingly low willingness to start and complete the fitness program in this study demonstrates that a fitness intervention study in men with LUTS and/or ED is only feasible after the right format of the fitness program for this particular group of men has been defined.