Efficacy of desmopressin in treatment of nocturia in elderly men

Abstract

• BACKGROUND: Nocturia may be due to urological and non-urological diseases; some of the possible underlying non-urological diseases may be life-threatening. We investigated the efficacy and safety of lowest dose of oral desmopressin in treatment of nocturia in elderly men.
• METHODS: 60 old men referring to urology clinic of Imam Reza hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2008-2009 for treatment of nocturia were included in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. They complained of about 2 voids per night. Patients were randomly divided into 2 study groups (30 patients in each group). Care was taken to match the patients of the 2 groups by age and clinical criteria. Patients belonging to group A received placebo and patients of group B received 0.1 mg desmopressin at bed time for 8 weeks. They were assessed after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. The means were compared using paired sample t and chi square tests for time of nocturia before and after treatments and also between the two groups. ANOVA test was used to evaluate statistical differences between outcomes of the two groups.
• RESULTS: Mean number of nocturia before and after receiving desmopressin were 2.6 and 1.6 respectively (p < 0.001). Mean number of nocturia before and after receiving placebo were 2.5 and 2.3 respectively with no significant difference (p = 0.344). After 4 weeks of treatment with desmopressin, 17 (56.7%) had less than 2 voids, 5 patients (16.7%) had 2 voids, and 8 (26.7%) had more than 2 voids per night (p < 0.05). After 8 weeks, patients were evaluated and it was noticed that in group B, 4 patients (13.3%) had 2 voids, 24 (80%) had less than 2 voids, and 2 (6.7%) had more than 2 voids per night (p = 0.004).
• CONCLUSIONS: Oral administration of desmopressin is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for nocturia in elderly men.
• KEYWORDS:Aged, Antidiuretic agents, Deamino arginine vasopressin, Desmopressin, Diuretics, Muscarinic antagonists, Nocturia.