Objectives: Nocturia is frequent among older patients and has been linked to cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the time relationship between the onset of nocturia and coronary heart disease (CHD). Specifically, this study investigated whether nocturia can be identified as a red flag de novo symptom in patients with CHD.
Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of patients with CHD-related cardiac complaints who were prospectively recruited from November 2019 till March 2020 at the cardiac catheterization laboratory of the Ghent University Hospital. An analysis was performed to determine the time relationship between nocturia and CHD and to describe the nocturia characteristics.
Results: Forty-five patients with nocturia and established CHD were included. Of these patients, 74% (31/42) developed nocturia before their cardiac symptoms occurred, with a median time gap of 57 months (IQR 19-101). Furthermore, 64% (29/45) of them had clinically significant nocturia (≥2 nocturnal voids) and there was a significant correlation between age at which nocturia and cardiac symptoms occurred (r=0.89, p<0.001).
Conclusion: This is the first study that analysed the time relationship between onset of nocturia and onset of cardiac complaints in patients with CHD. In most of the patients, nocturia had started before they were diagnosed with CHD, meaning that nocturia might precede the development of cardiac symptoms, such as angina and shortness of breath. Keeping this in mind, de novo nocturia may or even should be considered as a red flag for CHD.
Level of evidence: 4: (cross sectional study with prospectively recruitement) Source: https://www.ciap.health.nsw.gov.au/training/ebp-learning-modules/module1/grading-levels-of-evidence.html.
Keywords: CHD; Coronaropathie; De novo nocturia; Maladie coronarienne; Nocturia; Nycturie; Nycturie de novo; Red flag; coronary heart disease.
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