Purpose: Against the background of the approval of the use of desmopressin in the treatment of nocturia in adults, the aim of the present study was to describe patterns of its use in elderly patients in Denmark from 2000 to 2004.
Methods: Data were obtained from the Danish Register of Medicinal Product Statistics on nationwide sales of desmopressin and two commonly used measures of drug utilisation: 1-year prevalence (number of patients treated at least once during 1 year/1000 inhabitants) and therapeutic intensity (Daily Defined Doses (DDD)/1000 inhabitants/day).
Results: In 2002, the 1-year prevalence rose ranging from a 5-fold increase among men aged 60-69 years to a 14-fold increased prevalence in men >/=90 years. In women, relative increases of the same magnitude were noted. Similarly, marked increases of the therapeutic intensities were observed in both men and women in 2002, this was followed by steady growth in most age groups. By the end of the study period in 2004, the highest therapeutic intensities were observed in men (1.06 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) and women (0.92 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day) aged 80-89 years.
Conclusion: After approval in 2002 of the use of desmopressin in the management of nocturia in adults, a substantial increased utilisation was observed in patients >/=80 years. Given the high prevalence of risk factors for hyponatremia in these elderly patients, the pattern of utilisation is noteworthy and may need to be reviewed.
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