title: Association Between Ambient Temperature and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To date, there is no overall agreement as to risk of ambient temperature for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Thus, we focused on ambient temperature as an environmental factor affecting LUTS and attempted to explain the temperature differences in LUTS severity in cases in real clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multicenter, cross-sectional survey. The study involved 1612 men aged 40 years and older who visited 23 university hospitals in 10 major areas in South Korea between September 2010 and December 2011. The participants who had good overall mental and physical health, and complaint of LUTS were included. Korea Meteorological Administration data were used to determine daily average temperatures and daily temperatures on the interview dates at each site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the 1612 men was 66.57 ± 10.03 years. The mean International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and symptom duration were 18.51 ± 6.77 and 3.79 ± 3.89 years, respectively. Daily average temperature and temperature difference ranged from -13.1 to 28.5 °C and 0 to 20.6 °C, respectively. Age was a significant risk factor for IPSS, symptom duration, prostate volume (PV), maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax), average urinary flow rate (Qave) and total voiding volume (P < 0.001) but not QOL. Logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age and PV revealed that Qave and total voiding volume were increased as the temperature declined. However, IPSS and Qmax did not show a statistically significant difference as the temperature declined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings did not demonstrate an increased clinically significant risk of LUTS severity in connection with ambient temperature in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology Research, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ryul
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Heon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Whan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Doo
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won Jae
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Seop
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yun Seob
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013696:Temperature; D014556:Urine; D014563:Urodynamics
keywords: ambient temperature; lower urinary tract symptoms; prostatic hyperplasia