Nocturia Linked to Hypertension and High Salt Intake

Nocturia is a condition that causes people to wake up at night to urinate. Common causes of regular use of the toilet at night are high fluid intake, bladder obstruction, and sleep disorders. Those who suffer from nocturia may have to wake up to relieve themselves multiple times a night, reducing the amount of sleep they are able to get and possibly causing insomnia.

Nocturia can also be a symptom of other disorders and illnesses, such as a tumor on the bladder, disorders affecting sphincter control, and bladder prolapse. It is commonly seen in pregnant women, those with diabetes, patients suffering from heart or liver failure, and the elderly.

At the 83rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Japanese Circulation Society, Dr. Satoshi Konno, of the Division of Hypertension at the Tohoku Rosai Hospital in Sendai, Japan, and other researchers presented their research that possibly linked high salt intake and high blood pressure to nocturia.
 

"Our study indicates that if you need to urinate in the night — called nocturia — you may have elevated blood pressure and/or excess fluid in your body."

 The researchers enrolled 3,749 residents in the town of Watari who had participated in an annual health check in 2017 and gathered results using questionnaires about blood pressure levels and nocturia. The data showed that those who got up at night to urinate had a 40% higher chance of having high blood pressure, and the number only increases with more times one gets up at night.

However, Dr. Konno says that this does not prove that there is a causal relationship between the two, and it could also not apply to people outside of Japan. "The relationship may be influenced by various factors including lifestyle, salt intake, ethnicity, and genetic background.”

The conference press coordinator, Dr. Mutsuo Harada added:
 

 “Hypertension is a national disease in Japan. The average salt intake in Japan is approximately 10 grams per day, which is more than double the average salt intake worldwide (4 grams per day). This excessive salt intake is related to our preference for seafood and soy sauce-based food, so salt restriction is difficult to carry out.”

Dr. Harada also stated that detecting hypertension early on and managing it are crucial to preventing heart disease, so it is important to know of symptoms like nocturia since it is not only found in urinary organ problems but in other diseases as well.

Barbara Casadei, president of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) stated:
 

"More than 1 billion people have high blood pressure, worldwide. High blood pressure is the leading global cause of premature death, accounting for almost 10 million deaths in 2015. ESC guidelines recommend medication to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease….A healthy lifestyle is also advised, including salt restriction, alcohol moderation, healthy eating, regular exercise, weight control, and smoking cessation.