Effectiveness of physical activity as primary preventive care for lower urinary tract symptoms in elderly people through the “Muscle Enhancing Club”

Abstract

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between physical activity (PA) in elderly people as preventive exercise for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) or overactive bladder (OAB), and how PA in primary preventive care can impact change upon LUTS. [Subjects and Methods] An interview sheet featuring LUTS domains (IPSS/QOL and OABSS questionnaire) was distributed to all participants (104 males and 494 females) who attended the public elderly people’s physical exercise class “Muscle Enhancing Club 2010” in Asahikawa city. [Results] The interview sheet was collected from 65 males (75.4 ± 5.79 years of age) and 304 females (72.7 ± 5.23 years of age). In all cases, there was a statistically significant difference of QOL. In 77 LUTS cases, there was a statistically significant difference in the change of the following LUTS domains: incomplete bladder emptying, frequency, nocturia, QOL, urgency, and OABSS total score. In 61 OAB cases, there was a statistically significant difference in the change of the following LUTS domains: QOL, urgency, and OABSS total score. [Conclusion] PA, as a preventative exercise for elderly people, led to improvements in LUTS, especially storage symptoms and QOL. Our data show that gross movement and education was beneficial. From the point of preventive medicine, various exercise classes, organized by the local government and others, also indicated that these classes increase the possibility of improvement to LUTS.