Kranus Lutera - The therapy for voiding dysfunction.

With Kranus Lutera, we help men with LUTS to improve their symptoms and increase their quality of life. The aim is to reduce the urge to urinate, the frequency of urination and possible incontinence episodes through holistic therapy via an app.

Kranus Lutera was developed by experts in the field of men's health, is scientifically sound and is based on current medical guidelines.

The 12-week therapy takes a multimodal approach to treating your bladder voiding disorders. Kranus Lutera consists of various components, such as a bladder diary, also known in medicine as a micturition diary. Here, patients can record their drinking and urine volumes, among other things. Other therapeutic content includes integrated bladder training and pelvic floor training with associated physiotherapy components.

Patients can find mental exercises in the app to learn relaxation techniques and reduce stress. A knowledge section is also included. Here you will learn a lot about how the bladder works and about bladder diseases.

The IPSS score, also known as the International Prostate Symptom Score, is a questionnaire used to assess the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common condition in older men that involves enlargement of the prostate. BPH can affect urinary flow and lead to symptoms such as frequent urination, nocturia (urination at night), weak urinary stream, interrupted urinary stream (urinary stuttering), a feeling of incomplete bladder emptying and occasional urinary retention.

The IPSS consists of seven questions that relate to the frequency and severity of lower urinary tract related symptoms that have occurred in the past month. Each question is scored on a scale from 0 (no symptoms) to 5 (very severe symptoms), resulting in a maximum total score of 35. The total score of the IPSS is used to categorise the severity of BPH symptoms:

0 to 7 points: Mild symptoms

8 to 19 points: Moderate symptoms

20 to 35 points: Severe symptoms

In addition to the seven symptom-related questions, the IPSS also includes a quality of life question that asks patients how they feel about their symptoms on a scale from 0 (satisfied) to 6 (very dissatisfied).

The OAB-q SF (Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form) is a shortened questionnaire specifically designed to assess symptoms and quality of life in people with overactive bladder (OAB). Overactive bladder is a common syndrome characterised by symptoms such as sudden urge to urinate, frequent urination (more than eight times in 24 hours) and nocturia (urination at night), with or without urge incontinence.

The OAB-q SF is a simplified version of the more comprehensive OAB-q and includes questions focussing on symptom frequency and severity and associated quality of life. The questionnaire usually consists of two main sections:

Symptom Score: this section assesses the frequency and intensity of OAB symptoms. Questions may relate to the frequency of urination, the occurrence of sudden urge to urinate and the incidence of urinary leakage due to the urge.

Quality of life score: This section measures how OAB symptoms affect the person's quality of life, including social, emotional and physical aspects.

Each question in the OAB-q SF is scored on a scale, and the responses are summarised into an overall score that reflects the severity of symptoms and impact on quality of life. Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms.

Micturition refers to the process of urination or urination. It is the process by which the body releases urine from the bladder through the urethra to the outside. Micturition is a complex process that requires coordination between the muscle of the bladder wall and the sphincter muscles at the bladder outlet.

The process typically begins with the filling of the bladder with urine produced by the kidneys and transported through the ureters to the bladder. When the bladder reaches a certain level of fullness, signals are sent to the brain, creating a feeling of urgency to urinate. The decision to urinate leads to relaxation of the external sphincter and contraction of the detrusor muscle, which forces the urine out of the bladder.

Micturition is a normal physiological process that occurs several times a day in healthy individuals. Disruptions in this process can lead to various urological problems, such as urinary incontinence, urinary retention or urinary tract infections.

The BEST study represents an important milestone in urological research and aims to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of Kranus Lutera, a health app focussed on the treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS). Led by Prof Christian Gratzke (University Hospital Freiburg) and Dr Sandra Schönburg (University Hospital Halle), this study will provide important insights into the use of digital health solutions for urological diseases.

Design and implementation

The BEST study is designed as a randomised controlled trial designed to collect objective and reliable data on the efficacy of Kranus Lutera. With 237 patients, it provides a solid data base to obtain significant results. Participants in the intervention group used the Lutera app as part of a multimodal treatment of their LUTS, emphasising the integration of modern technology into patient care.

Inclusion criteria and target group

The study is aimed at men over the age of 18 who have a smartphone or tablet with which they can use the Lutera app. The study focuses on patients with diagnoses such as prostatic hyperplasia (N40) or other specified diseases of the urinary system (N32.8).

We cannot say, as the measurement points are weeks 0 and 12. Patient feedback at 3 weeks.