A new study has found that reducing obstructive sleep apnea can reduce the need to get up and pass urine at night. This study confirms the link between apnea and nocturia, and supports the idea that lifestyle management may contribute to reducing nocturia in certain cases. Nocturia affects more than half of men and women over the age of 50 and is reported as the most irritating of all voiding symptoms.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSAS) affects between 2% and 4% of men and women over the age of 50. In severe cases, patients are treated by wearing a special mask while asleep – a CPAP mask (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure mask), which increases the air pressure in the throat, meaning that the airway doesn’t collapse during sleep. Now new Dutch research, presented at the European Association of Urology conference in London, shows that wearing the mask also reduces the frequency of nighttime peeing. According to lead researcher Dr Sajjad Rahnama’i: “This is the first study to show the true incidence of nocturia -peeing at night- in patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. It’s also the first study to show the size of the effect of positive pressure mask treatment (CPAP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS) on their nocturia symptoms ”.
Commenting for the EAU, Professor Marcus Drake (Bristol, UK) said:

“It may seem surprising that breathing problems can cause excessive urine production while asleep, but actually the problem is very real. To have a study showing the link, and the potential benefits of therapy, may help establish the treatment into routine clinical practice”.

Source: European Association of Urology