Nocturia and associated morbidity in a Danish population of men and women aged 60-80 years

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between nocturia and medical diseases, medication, urinary incontinence (UI), recurrent cystitis, smoking, alcohol, parity, hysterectomy, pelvic organ prolapse surgery, UI surgery, and prostate surgery.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The previously validated questionnaire the Nocturia, Nocturnal Enuresis and Sleep-interruption Questionnaire was sent to 2000 women and 2000 men aged 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 years. The population was selected at random from The Danish Civil Registration System.

RESULTS: Using multiple logistic regressions UI and age were significantly associated with nocturia irrespective of severity. Nocturia of > or =1 voids was significantly associated with body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and smoking; and nocturia of > or =2 voids with gender, BMI, diabetes and recurrent cystitis, as well as between nocturia of > or =3 voids and gender, lung disease, diabetes, use of diuretics and recurrent cystitis. Summarising the associations in an ordinal regression analysis UI (odds ratio (OR) 2.17, 95% CI 1.76-2.68), recurrent cystitis (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.30-2.97) and diabetes (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.32-1.65) had the strongest associations with nocturia.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that various disorders are associated with nocturia. However, the associations are strongly dependent on the severity of the nocturia.