Questionnaire survey assessing seasonal changes in lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostate hyperplasia.

Objective: A prospective questionnaire survey was conducted for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to clarify seasonal changes in the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Material And Methods: Male patients receiving α1-adrenoreceptor antagonists for BPH were enrolled. They answered the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire, and an unvalidated questionnaire that consisted of 10 questions assessing variations in the urinary stream (voiding symptoms) and urinary frequency (storage symptoms), depending upon the seasons or the patients' subjective sensations of warm and cold in last one year.

Results: A total of 412 participants answered IPSS and our unvalidated questionnaire. Of the 412 participants, 36.7% and 59.0% realized seasonal variations in urinary stream and frequency, respectively. Among patients perceiving seasonal urinary stream and urinary frequency changes (n=151 and n=243, respectively), significantly more patients realized weaker urinary stream, 59.8% (107/179) in winter compared with 26.2% (47/179) in summer, and increased urinary frequency, 69.8% (199/285) in winter compared with 20.7% (59/285) in summer (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). Even in summer, when feeling cold, 34.7% and 56.3% realized a weaker urinary stream and an increased urinary frequency, and even in winter, when feeling warm, 53.4% and 69.4% realized a stronger urinary stream and a decreased urinary frequency. Those with seasonal stream changes showed a significantly higher IPSS total, voiding and post-voiding scores than those without, and those with seasonal frequency changes showed significantly higher IPSS total, storage, voiding, and post-voiding scores.

Conclusion: Our results revealed seasonal changes and feeling of hot and cold were associated with subjective changes of LUTS in BPH patients.