A multicomponent behavioural and drug intervention for nocturia in elderly men: rationale and pilot results

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the number of medical and urological conditions associated with nocturia in a cohort of older men who were primary-care enrolees, and to assess the feasibility and efficacy of using a multicomponent intervention to reduce nocturia and its bother. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Men aged ≥50 years and with two or more episodes of nocturia were recruited from the primary-care clinics at one Veterans Affairs Medical Center to participate in a 4-week, open-label, prospective pilot study. A multicomponent intervention composed of behavioural therapy and targeted drug therapy was administered according to a specified protocol based upon identified risk factors for nocturia. Outcome measures included self-reported nocturia and bother on the American Urological Association (AUA)-7 Symptom Index, 3-day bladder diaries and self-reported sleep-related measures recorded using 7-day sleep diaries. RESULTS Fifty-five men completed the protocol (mean age 67 years, sd 8.3); they had a mean of 4.5 of nine defined conditions potentially related to nocturia. Highly prevalent conditions included moderate-to-severe benign prostatic hyperplasia (87%), hypertension (86%) and urinary frequency (71%). The mean diary-recorded nocturia decreased from 2.6 to 1.9 (P