Long-term physical activity and lower urinary tract symptoms in men.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the association between physical activity, and the risk of moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms.


METHODS
A cross-sectional representative sample of 30,377 men 45 to 79 years old in central Sweden who completed a self-administered life-style questionnaire, including International Prostate Symptom Score questions, physical activity currently and recalled at age 30 years (total, work/occupation, walking/bicycling, inactivity and exercise) and demographic data. A total of 6,905 men (23%) who scored 8 or more points on International Prostate Symptom Score questions were considered to have moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms.


RESULTS
After controlling for subject age, waist-to-hip ratio, diabetes, smoking and drinking status, and educational level total physical activity was significantly inversely related to moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms (highest vs lowest quartile OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.79, p trend <0.001). Men who were physically active at work as well as during leisure time were at half the risk of lower urinary tract symptoms compared to inactive men (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.60). Long-term high inactivity (5 hours daily at age 30 years plus currently) was associated with a 2-fold increased risk compared with the risk in men who were more active at the 2 periods (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.41 to 2.59).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that physical activity in young and late adulthood may be associated with a lower risk of moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms.
Orsini
Nicola
N
Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. nicola.orsini@ki.se
RashidKhani
Bahram
B
Andersson
Swen-Olof
SO
Karlberg
Lars
L
Johansson
Jan-Erik
JE
Wolk
Alicja
A
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*