Sitting and physical inactivity may increase risk of urinary tract symptoms

Prolonged sitting time and low physical activity levels were linked with the development of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a BJU International study of 69,795 middle-aged Korean men.

A team led by researchers at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, in South Korea, 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.)

"The results support the importance of both reducing sitting time and promoting physical activity for preventing LUTS," said lead author Dr. Heung Jae Park. "Further studies are still needed to examine the influence of sedentary behaviors on LUTS and its determinants," added senior author Dr. Seungho Ryu.