OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact ofthe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) included in theIPSS on the quality of life and to determine therelationship between quality of life or total IPSS scoreand treatment.METHODS: Retrospective review of the IPSS questionnairein 125 male patients who had consulted for LUTSbetween January 2001 and December 2003. Resultswere included in an Access database. Statistical analyses were done with the SPSS 11.0 software.RESULTS: 17% of the patients showed severe symptomsin accordance to the IPSS score. In the quality of lifeevaluation grouped into two categories, 88% referredgood or indifferent quality of life. In the evaluation ofthe association between IPSS individual questions andquality of life there was a significant association for allquestions. Patients reporting worse quality of life had a6 times higher risk of receiving treatment. With a meanfollow-up of two years, 91% of patients who were noton treatment continued without it.CONCLUSIONS: The most severe symptoms are, theworse the quality of life. The independent parametersthat most influenced decision to start treatment werequality of life and total IPSS. Frequency, weak streamand hesitation may explain quality of life on eachpatient.