Association Between Before-bedtime Passive Body Heating and Nocturia During the Cold Season Among Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Cold exposure induces lower urinary tract symptoms, including nocturia. Cold-induced detrusor overactivity can be alleviated by increasing skin temperature in rats. However, no study has shown an association between passive heating via hot-water bathing and nocturia among humans. Methods: We included 1,051 Japanese community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 71.7 years) in this cross-sectional study from 2010 to 2014. The number of nocturnal voids was recorded in a self-administered urination diary. Nocturia was defined as ≥2 nocturnal voids. We evaluated bathing conditions in the participants’ houses. Results: Hot-water bathing (n = 888) was associated with a lower prevalence of nocturia than no bathing (n = 163), independent of potential confounders, including age, sex, obesity, income, physical activity, diabetes, medication (diuretics, nondiuretic antihypertensives, and hypnotics), depressive symptoms, indoor/outdoor temperature, and day length (odds ratio [OR] 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48–0.97; P = 0.035). Compared with the quartile group with the longest bath-to-bed interval (range: 161–576 min), the second and third quartile groups (range: 61–100 and 101–160 min, respectively) were associated with a lower prevalence of nocturia, after adjusting for water temperature and bathing duration besides the same covariates (OR 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38–0.96; P = 0.031 and OR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37–0.94; P = 0.025, respectively). Conclusion: Hot-water bathing, particularly with a bath-to-bed interval of 61–160 min, was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of nocturia among older adults.

Keywords

• nocturia
• lower urinary tract symptoms
• cold temperature
• baths
• passive body heating
• hyperthermia