Seasonal changes in symptom score and uroflowmetry in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether subjective or objective seasonal changes occur in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).


METHODS
A total of 31 patients with LUTS were observed for >5 years. Their International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, maximum flow rate (Qmax), voided volume (VV) a nd post-void residual (PVR) we re measured every month.


RESULTS
Total IPSS, QOL, VV or PVR did not show any seasonal changes between the three seasons: summer (hot season: June to September); winter (cold season: December to March); and spring and fall (comfortable season: April, May, October and November). Furthermore, when the IPSS was examined by dividing it into storage symptoms (frequency, urgency and nocturia) and voiding symptoms (incomplete emptying, intermittency, weak stream and straining), no significant seasonal changes were detected. Only Qmax showed a significant seasonal change, being higher in both the cold season (median 10.4 ml/s) and the comfortable season (median 10.1 ml/s) than in the hot season (median 9.4 ml/s).


CONCLUSIONS
It has generally been thought that LUTS worsen in winter. Our results indicate that the IPSS and the QOL score remain nearly constant if they are determined regularly over an extended period of time. Qmax may however be influenced by seasonal changes in temperature.
Watanabe
Tetsuya
T
Department of Urology, Maruyama Hospital, Japan. cotton@mbox.co.jp
Maruyama
Satoshi
S
Maruyama
Yukitaka
Y
Kageyama
Shinji
S
Shinbo
Hitoshi
H
Otsuka
Atsushi
A
Ozono
Seiichiro
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000503:physiopathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012621:Seasons; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013696:Temperature; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology*; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*