Desmopressin improves nocturia frequency; however, reports on its long-term efficacy and safety are few, and concerns regarding its effect on body composition exist. We thus investigated the efficacy and safety of long-term desmopressin administration and its effect on body composition.
This retrospective study, conducted at Chikugo City Hospital between August 2020 and December 2022, involved 133 men (mean age, 77.7 years) with nocturnal and persistent nocturia, who were administered an initial dose of 50 μg desmopressin. Efficacy endpoints included nocturnal urinary frequency, nocturnal urinary volume, hours of undisturbed sleep, nocturnal polyuria index, initial nocturnal urinary volume, and daily urinary frequency in a frequency-volume chart (3 days), before treatment and at 1, 4, 12, 24, and 52 weeks after desmopressin administration. Additionally, the effects of desmopressin on body composition were examined, including blood-brain natriuretic peptide and a chest radiography, before and 52 weeks after administration.
Treatment improved most efficacy endpoint evaluation parameters. Around 87.6% of patients showed improved symptoms after 52 weeks compared with those before treatment (score ≤ 3). The blood-brain natriuretic peptide level rose; however, cardiothoracic ratio was unchanged.
Long-term administration of desmopressin is thus effective and safe in older people with nocturnal polyuria, with little effect on body composition.
International journal of urology : official journal of the Japanese Urological Association. 2024 Jul 15 [Epub ahead of print]
Hirofumi Kurose, Kosuke Ueda, Katsuaki Chikui, Keiichiro Uemura, Kiyoaki Nishihara, Makoto Nakiri, Shigetaka Suekane, Tsukasa Igawa
Department of Urology, Chikugo City Hospital, Chikugo, Fukoka, Japan., Department of Urology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukoka, Japan.