PheNOtyping Women at Risk for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (NO-LUTS)

May 2023 Council

Lead Division/Office

KUH

Point(s) of Contact

Julie Barthold; Ziya Kirkali; Chris Mullins; Jenna Norton; Christine Maric-Bilkan

Executive Summary

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a heterogeneous symptom complex of unclear etiology with potential origins during transition periods in women's lives. Multiple forms of therapy are available, but effective clinical management is limited by underreporting, variable natural history and lack of standardized clinical phenotyping that could facilitate improved, individualized care. NIH-funded consortia have made significant progress in developing methodologies to assess and measure the intersecting biological, behavioral and social factors that may contribute to LUTS development and severity. The Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) has established important phenotypic criteria for LUTS, particularly for urgency and urgency incontinence. The Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Consortium collects population-based data that will provide important information about bladder health in women across the lifespan. The Phenotyping Women at Risk for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (NO-LUTS) initiative will extend the work of the PLUS consortium and employ updated, robust clinical phenotyping tools. NO-LUTS will provide a detailed assessment of bladder health during perimenopause, a key transitional period for bladder health. The NO-LUTS longitudinal cohort study will identify potential risk and protective factors for LUTS and provide a new evidence base for individualized prevention and treatment strategies.