Male COVID-19 patients have higher incidence of complications of lower urinary tract infection

Hong Kong: A largest study demonstrating the detrimental urological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection has shown an association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and an increased incidence of haematuria, urinary retention, UTI, and the addition of combination therapy in the short-term irrespective of COVID-19 severity. 

The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection may worsen lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men.

The study included 17,986 men receiving medication for LUTS within the public healthcare system of Hong Kong in 2021–2022, half of whom had SARS-CoV-2 infection. The group with SARS-CoV-2 had significantly higher rates of retention of urine (4.55% versus 0.86%); blood in the urine (1.36% versus 0.41%); clinical urinary tract infection (4.31% versus 1.49%); bacteria in the urine (9.02% versus 1.97%); and addition of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, which are drugs prescribed for enlarged prostate. (0.50% versus 0.02%). These urological manifestations occurred regardless of COVID-19 severity. 

The findings might relate to the presence of certain proteins targeted by SARS-CoV-2 that are known to be expressed in the prostate.

“We are excited to be the first to report the effects of COVID-19 on complications of benign prostatic hyperplasia-or enlarged prostate-and also demonstrate the alarming extent of its urological effects,” said corresponding author Alex Qinyang Liu, MD, of Prince of Wales Hospital, in Hong Kong.

Reference:

Alex Qinyang Liu, Peter Ka-Fung Chiu, Samuel Chi-Hang Yee, Chi-Fai Ng, Jeremy Yuen-Chun Teoh, SARS-CoV-2 infection correlates with male benign prostatic hyperplasia deterioration, https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13719.