[Nocturia. A common, but overlooked problem]

Nocturia is defined as waking at night to empty the bladder (1), irrespective of the number of times. Research has shown that it has a multifactorial aetiology and the need to wake up to urinate is probably because of an overproduction of urine or a reduced ability to store urine. Nocturia can occur at any age, but is particularly common in the elderly of both sexes. At present, both sufferers and physicians tend to consider it insignificant or a normal consequence of ageing, although it is not a trivial condition. Rising at night to urinate puts people at greater risk of falls (2), and has a detrimental effect on the quality of life, sleep patterns, and mortality (3). In young adults, the quality of life is particularly affected by persistent nocturia. Treatments (behaviour modification and pharmacological agents) are effective in many cases, although it is important to tailor treatment to the underlying pathophysiology.