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We recently reported an association between the bother and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and the severity of sleep disturbance. However, few studies have examined whether alterations in the severity of urinary symptoms influence the degree of sleep problems over time.The severity of lower urinary tract symptoms in men enrolled in CAMUS (Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urological Symptoms), a clinical trial of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), was evaluated using AUASI (American Urological Association symptom index) and quality of life scores. Sleep disturbance was evaluated by the Jenkins sleep scale at 0, 24, 48 and 72 weeks. Statistical analyses were used to assess the relationship(s) between changes in lower urinary tract symptoms and sleep disturbance.The baseline characteristics of the 339 men (172 placebo arm and 167 saw palmetto arm) enrolled in the CAMUS trial with assessment of sleep disturbance and urinary symptoms were similar. There were no differences between improvements in the severity of sleep disturbance or urinary symptoms between the 2 experimental arms. Combined analyses of the entire cohort revealed significant associations (p0.001) between the AUASI score and sleep disturbance severity with time. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that improvements in lower urinary tract symptoms other than nocturia were the most significant predictors of improvements in sleep disturbance. Specific analyses adjusting for other baseline characteristics demonstrated that a 3-point improvement in AUASI score was associated with a 0.73-point improvement in the Jenkins sleep scale with time.Improvements in lower urinary tract symptoms correlate with changes in sleeping abilities with time in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia. While nocturia is significantly associated with sleep disturbance, other changes in overall lower urinary tract symptoms are better predictors of changes in sleep dysfunction.

Purpose To determine whether exercise at low intensity (LO; 50% of peak VO2) or high intensity (HI; 85% of peak VO2) results in improvement of the ventilatory threshold (VT), 186 men with coronary artery disease (CAD) were enrolled in an exercise study for 1 year. Methods A symptom-limited exercise test was performed at baseline and the heart rate corresponding to 50% and 85% of peak VO2 was determined. Subjects were randomized to LO or HI intensity exercise. Exercise sessions included 45 minutes of walking/jogging and/or stationary cycling at the appropriate target heart rate and were conducted 3 days per week. The exercise test was repeated at 3 and 6 months. Target heart rates were revised to adjust for training. Results Both LO and HI resulted in improved VO2 at VT and peak. However, HI resulted in greater improvement than LO. Conclusion Among this population, both HI and LO improve the VO2 at VT and peak, but the improvement is greater with HI. The VT can be a useful adjunct to heart rate and peak oxygen uptake when prescribing exercise.