Nocturia Increases Mortality Risk

Nocturia Increases Mortality Risk: Waking up more than twice a night to urinate increases mortality risk by 50% for men and more than 30% for women, researchers have found. Researchers analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which included 16,000 men and women aged 20 years and older. Nocturia is the most commonly cited reason for waking during the night, but there is no clear explanation for why it increases mortality risk. At the American Urological Association meeting in San Francisco, the researchers presented some ideas. "Chronic sleep loss adversely effects metabolic and endocrine function," said Varant Kupelian, of the New England Research Institutes in Watertown, Mass. "Nocturia may be a marker of impending morbidity, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Nocturia may also be a marker of overall health." Also, the study results indicated that more frequent episodes of nocturia had a greater effect on mortality risk in people without diabetes or cardiovascular disease than on those with either condition.