Prolonged sitting and physical inactivity linked to urinary tract symptoms

Dr.Heung Jae Park at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in South Korea and colleagues conducted a cohort study to examine the association of sitting time and physical activity level with the incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a large sample of Korean men.The researchers found that prolonged sitting time and low physical activity levels were positively associated with the development of LUTS in a large sample of middle‐aged Korean men.

In a BJUI study, the researchers enrolled 69 795 Korean men, free of LUTS at baseline, who were followed up annually or biennially for a mean of 2.6 years. Physical activity level and sitting time were assessed using the validated Korean version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form. LUTS were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and clinically significant LUTS were defined as an IPSS score ≥8.

The researchers at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital found that the incidence rate of LUTS -- which relate to urine storage and/or voiding disturbances -- was 39 per 1000 person-years. (A person-year is the number of years of follow-up multiplied by the number of people in the study.)