Little nocturia progression at 1 year in men with BPH

In patients with symptoms suggestive of BPH, nocturia fluctuates but does not significantly progress over the course of 1-year follow-up, according to findings from an international study.

In a secondary analysis of a trial that recruited men 45 to 80 years of age with symptoms suggestive of BPH (AUA Symptom Index score ≥8) who attended outpatient clinics at 31 participating Veterans Affairs medical centers, researchers determined the average nocturia frequency. The study comprised 305 men who were allocated to placebo in a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.

The participants made six visits over 1 year of follow-up; visits were at weeks 2, 4, 13, 26, 39, and 52. At each visit, participants reported their nocturia habits over the past week using the AUA-SI questionnaire. Eighty-four percent of the patients reported information at all six time points.

"Among the research participants, a remarkable fluctuation but no significant progression of nocturia was observed at 1-year follow-up," said first author Kari A.O. Tikkinen, MD, PhD, of Helsinki University Central Hospital and the University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. "This study provides reassuring data when counseling patients about fluctuations in nocturia when treating BPH with watchful waiting."

At baseline, 25% of men reported one void per night; 34% reported two voids per night; 27% reported three voids per night; and 9% reported four voids per night.

The mean nocturia episodes were 2.2 voids per night (SD 1.1) at baseline and 2.1 voids/night (SD 1.1) at 1 year. No significant differences in episodes were found at any of the weeks (p≥.399 for all), and no significant trend was found (p=.542); however, there was considerable fluctuation in nocturia over 1 year.

Go back to this edition of Urology Times Conference Brief.