Nocturia Associated With Increased Mortality in the Elderly

CHICAGO (Reuters Health) Apr 27 - A need to urinate more than two times a night on a regular basis is associated with a more than two-fold increase in mortality risk, according to a Japanese study that focused on elderly individuals.

The study consisted of 788 residents 70 years of age or older residing in an urban area of northern Japan who were followed for 3 years. The mean age was 74.9 years.

Dr. Haruo Nakagawa and colleagues at Tohoku University School of Medicine in Sendai conducted comprehensive geriatric assessments and extensive health interviews of the subjects. They calculated mortality rates over 3 years using data from the national health insurance system.

Survival and mortality risk were stratified by the presence or absence of nocturia, defined as two or more voids per night.

Survival after 3 years was approximately 98% for those who voided fewer than two times a night and approximately 93% for those who met the definition of nocturia, the investigators announced here at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association.

“Even after adjusting for several factors which may contribute to mortality, the multivariate hazard ratio…for mortality with nocturia was 2.68,” Dr. Nakagawa told meeting attendees.

A number of factors could explain the increased mortality risk with nocturia, he said, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea syndrome, renal dysfunction, lower urinary tract dysfunction and sleep disorders.

“Nighttime urination is not just a matter of getting older, commented Dr. Anthony Y. Smith, an AUA spokesperson. “There may be a very serious yet treatable condition involved.”