[Impact of nocturia on sleep quality in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggesting benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH). The NocSu Study].

BACKGROUND

Nocturia is one of the main symptoms associated to BPH, causing significant sleep disturbances, including sleep interruptions. Such sleep interruptions may significantly impair quality of life.

METHODS

A multicenter, observational, cross-sectional, epidemiological study was conducted in patients with LUTS/BPH aged 60 years or over. In the study visit, demographic and clinical data were collected and quality of sleep questionnaires (MOS-Sleep Scale and COS) were administered.

RESULTS

Among the total 249 patients recruited, 205 had nocturia (82.3%) and 44 (17.7%) had no nocturia. All patients should have an I-PSS score ?13, and patients with mild symptoms were therefore excluded (62.9% had moderate and 37.1% severe symptoms). Patients with nocturia were seen to have more sleep problems than those without nocturia (more sleep disturbances, less sleep adequacy, more daily sleepiness, greater concern about their social and occupational functioning, etc).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with nocturia reported a worse quality of sleep than patients with LUTS/BPH but no nocturia. Nocturia resulted in frequent sleep interruptions, causing malaise and diurnal fatigue in affected patients. Use of therapeutic approaches to relieve or eliminate this undesirable effect may lead to an improvement in sleep quality and quality of life in BPH patients.