AUA: Nighttime Urination Linked to Death in Elderly

Elderly with nocturia have a higher risk of death

01 may 2009 -- Elderly individuals who need to urinate at least twice per night have a higher risk of death, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association held April 25 to 30 in Chicago.

Haruo Nakagawa from Tohoku University Hospital in Sendai, Japan, and colleagues surveyed 788 elderly (70 years and older) community-dwelling individuals in Japan about nocturia and investigated its association with mortality over three years using data from the national health insurance system.

The researchers found that after adjusting for possible confounding factors, individuals with nocturia (two voids/night or greater) had a significantly higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio 2.68).

"We conclude that there is a significantly increased mortality rate associated with nocturia [two voids/night or greater], even after adjustment for several factors which may contribute to mortality," Nakagawa and colleagues conclude.

Abstracts (log in required)