|  |  | 
                        
                          
                            | Investigator: | Phone: (404) 728-7775
 Email: [email protected]
 | 
                          
                            | Primary Research Interest: | Internal Medicine | 
                          
                            | Description of Research: | I study voiding dysfunction in older adults, and nocturia (waking at night to void) in particular.  This symptom is strongly associated with poorer quality of life, impaired sleep, a higher risk of accidental falls, and increased mortality.  I employ different investigative techniques including epidemiological and secondary data analysis, study of mechanisms, and randomized trials. | 
                          
                            | Relevance to VA: | The VA system serves disproportionately more men, and more men who are older, than any other health system.  A 50-year old man with urinary symptoms has an estimated 40% lifetime risk for requiring therapy for benign prostatic enlargement.  Because nocturia is common in older men, the VA disproportionately is affected by problems addressed by this research.  In 2012, 48% of the veteran population was = 65 years of age compared to 12% for the overall U.S. population.  LUTS are equally common in white and African-American men, while nocturia is more common in AA men. | 
                          
                            |  |  |