Hou XY, Zhang L, Zhang ZJ, Xu W, Ye LW, Zhao HY, Suo XH, Hong AJ. Nocturia: An overview of current evaluation and treatment strategies. World J Methodol 2025; 15(4): 104696 [DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v15.i4.104696]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Li Zhang, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 155 Hanzhong Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. zhang865343988@qq.com
Research Domain of This Article
Urology & Nephrology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Methodol. Dec 20, 2025; 15(4): 104696 Published online Dec 20, 2025. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v15.i4.104696
Nocturia: An overview of current evaluation and treatment strategies
Xiang-Yi Hou, Li Zhang, Zhi-Jie Zhang, Wei Xu, Liang-Wen Ye, Hao-Yu Zhao, Xiang-Hui Suo, An-Jie Hong
Xiang-Yi Hou, Li Zhang, Zhi-Jie Zhang, Wei Xu, Liang-Wen Ye, Xiang-Hui Suo, An-Jie Hong, Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Hao-Yu Zhao, Department of Urology, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
Co-corresponding authors: Li Zhang and Zhi-Jie Zhang.
Author contributions: Hou XY contributed to conceptualization, writing–original draft; Zhang L contributed to writing–review and editing; Zhang ZJ contributed to supervision; Xu W contributed to investigation; Ye LW contributed to data curation; Zhao HY contributed to visualization, software; Suo XH contributed to resources; Hong AJ contributed to project administration. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that the research, writing, and publication of this paper were free of any conflict of interest that could affect the impartiality of the findings. None of the authors have accepted any commercial or financial benefits in connection with this study, nor do they have an interest in any entity that may be affected by the results of this paper. All sources of funding for this study have been clearly stated and have not been funded or influenced by any commercial organization.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Li Zhang, PhD, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 155 Hanzhong Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. zhang865343988@qq.com
Received: December 28, 2024 Revised: February 24, 2025 Accepted: March 10, 2025 Published online: December 20, 2025 Processing time: 219 Days and 1.3 Hours
Abstract
Nocturia is a common clinical condition that severely affects patients' quality of life and is strongly associated with complications such as depression, cognitive dysfunction, mood disorders, and fall-related injuries. The etiology of nocturia is complex and mainly includes increased total urine output, nocturnal polyuria, decreased functional bladder capacity, sleep disorders, and confounding factors. In recent years, with the in-depth study of the pathophysiological mechanisms of nocturia, the diagnostic methods have been updated, and the application of tools such as the frequency volume chart, bladder capacity index, and bladder diary have provided an important basis for the precise identification of the etiology. Behavior modification has been widely used in clinical practice as a first-line treatment. In addition, advances in pharmacotherapy have provided new directions for the management of nocturia, and the efficacy and safety of α-blockers, cholinergic receptor antagonists, adrenergic β-agonists, desmopressin, melatonin, and other medications have been gradually validated. However, there are still some limitations in the existing studies, especially in the long-term safety and efficacy of drug therapy as well as the mechanism of action still need to be further explored. This article reviews the latest research advances in nocturia, aiming to provide clinicians with diagnostic and therapeutic strategies based on evidence-based medicine, and to promote the standardization and individualization of nocturia management.
Core Tip: Nocturia increases the risk of death in patients. However, the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of nocturia are complex. We summarize the current state-of-the-art in pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment strategies, with frequency-volume chart and bladder diaries providing an important basis for diagnosis, and more comprehensive studies of pharmacological treatments are needed in the future.
