Nocturia is an age-independent risk factor for hip-fractures in men

Nocturia is a highly prevalent symptom in the elderly and a common reason for interrupted sleep resulting in dizziness, worse daytime functioning and higher risk of falls. The aim of this study was to determine the role of nocturia as a risk factor for hip-fractures in men.

Men aged 40-80 years participating in a health-screening survey in Vienna between 2000 and 2003 entered the study. In parallel to the investigation all men completed the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). In 2008, files of all Austrian public hospitals were screened whether these men were admitted with the diagnosis of a hip-fracture. Chi(2)-test and logistic regression analyses were used to study the association of nocturia to hip-fractures.

A total of 1,820 men (52 +/- 9 years) with a mean follow-up of 6.2 years entered this analysis. Hip-fractures occurred in 24 men (1.3%). The occurrence of hip-fractures increased from 0.9% (no nocturia) to 1.0% (nocturia once) to 2.7% (nocturia twice or more). This trend was significant (P = 0.03, chi(2)-test). Even after adjusting for age, men with nocturia of >or=2 were at increased risk (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.03-1.80, P = 0.03) for developing a hip-fracture. The IPSS was not correlated to the occurrence of hip-fractures (p for trend 0.61).

Nocturia of >or=2 is an age-independent risk factor for hip-fractures in men. The high frequency of nocturia in elderly men paralleled with the significant morbidity and even mortality of hip-fractures underline the clinical importance of this association.