Ferring Pharmaceuticals, a research driven, specialty biopharmaceutical company, has presented new data at the European Congress of Urology (EAU) which shows that nocturia (getting up several times a night to urinate) leads to a significant reduction in work productivity and leisure activities. This is fully in line with other chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). By nocturia showed the work productivity among the working population by almost 25 per cent decrease.

Further study revealed that patients had a disturbed night's sleep as the worst symptom and show that about one third of people with nocturia after urination awake and suffer from insomnia.

A fragmented sleep is a serious consequence of nocturia and may result in poor performance during the day. The data of two three-month, randomized and controlled clinical trials (n = 646) were analyzed in the context of an economic evaluation showing the impact of nocturia on productivity and activity was compared with the effect of other chronic diseases. The work productivity was assessed with a questionnaire on work productivity and problems with the implementation of activities.

There was a loss of work productivity of 24 per cent measured by nocturia. This is more than what has been reported with an overactive bladder (10-12 per cent) and similar to other non-urological disorders such as chronic GERD (25 per cent), severe asthma (21 per cent), COPD (19 per cent) and constipation (34 per cent). Furthermore, in patients with nocturia was the possibility of daytime activities to perform 34 per cent.

In commenting on the study results, Philip Van Kerrebroeck, MD, PhD, University of Maastricht, "Nocturia is a common problem where around a third of all adults suffer. Disruption of the problem is often underestimated and disregarded as less serious than other chronic diseases in terms of impact on quality of life and cost to society. These data indicate that nocturia sleep and performance daytime harms and negative impact on work productivity, just like many other chronic diseases. Patients with nocturia should treatment for this debilitating condition."

The second set of data is presented at the EAU, was an analysis of subjective, patient-reported symptoms of nocturia data which they are most annoying. The various negative effects of nocturia on quality of life have been reported, but there are to date no studies in which patients were asked to explain why they are so heavy nocturia like to live.

In two randomized trials (n = 786, 273 women, 513 men) to men and women were asked what they thought of the vervelendst night to stand up to pee. The answers are recorded verbatim. Disruption of sleep was seen as the biggest problem caused by nocturia (in 57 per cent of men and 42 per cent of women). The inability to get back to sleep was the second worst symptom in 32 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women, while fatigue the next morning when the bus came third (17 per cent of men and 15% of the women). The self-reported signs and symptoms were not significantly different between men and women. Age was important: a small subgroup of older patients specifically mentioned the fear of falling, mainly due to dizziness and walk through a dark house to go to the toilet.

"I see my sleep now as a series of short naps," said one of the patients in the study. "I'll never again fall asleep. I'm going all night watching TV and feel miserable the next day," said another patient.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals identifies, develops and markets innovative products in the areas of reproductive health, uroloogie, gastroenterology and endocrinlogie.