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Seasonal changes in occurrence and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms—Tampere Aging Male Urologic Study ( TAMUS )
Author(s) -
Pöyhönen Antti,
Åkerla Jonne,
Koskimäki Juha,
Tammela Teuvo L. J.,
Auvinen Anssi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
luts: lower urinary tract symptoms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.451
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1757-5672
pISSN - 1757-5664
DOI - 10.1111/luts.12353
Subject(s) - lower urinary tract symptoms , medicine , seasonality , urinary system , gynecology , prostate , statistics , mathematics , cancer
Objectives To determine if lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) involve seasonal variation and how this affects the severity of LUTS. Methods A total of 3163 men aged 50 to 70 years were mailed a questionnaire on urinary symptoms. The overall response rate was 65.3% (2064 out of 3163 men). The men were asked whether their urinary symptoms showed variation in degree of difficulty according to time of year and if yes, when LUTS were the worst and the mildest. Ten different LUTS were evaluated with four response options for the severity of symptoms. Mean symptom scores and the proportions of symptomatic men were evaluated according to the presence of seasonal changes in different symptoms. Results Overall, 17.1% of men reported seasonal variation in severity of LUTS, older men more frequently than younger men. Worse LUTS during winter were reported by 81% of the men reporting seasonal variation, and 93% reported that LUTS were relieved in summer. More seasonal variation was reported by men with comorbidities (stroke, neurological disease) and those with medical treatment for LUTS or operative treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Men with more severe LUTS were more likely to report seasonal changes. Conclusions One out of six men reported seasonal changes in LUTS, with winter worsening and summer relieving the symptoms. Men with seasonal variation in LUTS had more severe LUTS in all 10 symptom groups that were investigated.