The role of nocturia in the quality of life of men with lower urinary tract symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the role of treatment-associated improvement in nocturia in health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and secondarily to confirm the role of nocturia in HRQL at baseline and to compare the effects of watchful waiting, transurethral microwave treatment (TUMT) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to those of α1-adrenoceptor antagonists (α-blockers) on nocturia.


METHODS
We retrospectively analysed using multiple regression a large single-centre database of patients receiving routine care for treatment-associated alterations of symptoms and HRQL (assessed at baseline, 2611 men) and 6-12 months after initiation of treatment (1258 men).


RESULTS
Among the symptoms assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score, nocturia (together with urgency and weak stream) had the strongest correlation with HRQL at baseline and after treatment. Watchful waiting, α-blockers, TUMT and TURP reduced nocturia episodes by a mean (sd) of 7 (53)%, 17 (40)%, 32 (47)% and 75 (23)%, respectively. The treatment-associated improvements in nocturia (together with those of weak stream) had the strongest association with those of HRQL.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that among all LUTS assessed in the IPSS, nocturia has one of the strongest associations with HRQL, and that treatment-associated improvements in nocturia contribute considerably to overall improvements in HRQL.
Department of Urology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Marleen M
MM
Van Dijk
Hessel
H
Wijkstra
Frans M
FM
Debruyne
Jean J M C H
JJ
De La Rosette
Martin C
MC
Michel
D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D053158:Nocturia / Q000628:therapy*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate; D057832:Watchful Waiting
D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists