An association between diet, metabolic syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms

Diet is a key factor in the aetiology of many diseases, including metabolic syndrome and lower urinary tract disorders. Metabolic syndrome is a growing and increasingly expensive health problem in both the developed and the developing world, with an associated rise in morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, lower urinary tract symptoms affect millions of individuals worldwide, lowering their quality of life. Associations have been established between both conditions in existing literature and the various components of the metabolic syndrome have been linked with the onset and aggravation of symptoms in various forms of LUTS. This current review explores the relationships between these in detail, focusing on their inter-relationships particularly vis-a-vis dietary macronutrient and micronutrient intake.