The joint editors of European Urology‘s Nocturia Resource Centre, a freely accessible educational platform designed for healthcare professionals specialized in urology, appointed sleep medicine expert Professor Donald L. Bliwise of Emory University, Atlanta, as associate editor.

Nocturia, waking up during the night to void urine, is a common problem that worsens with age. Sufferers of severe nocturia often wake up more than three times a night, disturbing their sleep.

Until now, cases of severe nocturia have mostly been assessed from a urological basis. Professor Bliwise brings 40 years of practice as a neurologist with a specialty in sleep medicine and believes that a better understanding of sleep will help urologists gain more insight into the causes of nocturia.

“Most urologists recognize that sleep plays an important role in the definition of ICS [International Continence Society] nocturia, but for many, sleep becomes relegated to a single, unified state without much more interest or thought given to it. In fact, sleep researchers have spent years describing, both qualitatively and quantitatively, various aspects of sleep[…]Demystifying sleep begins with breaking it down to its various dimensions,” explains Professor Bliwise in his introductory editorial for the Nocturia Resource Centre.

“The appointment of Professor Bliwise represents a merger of the specialties of sleep medicine and urology that seeks to help the platform become a more rounded medical resource, giving to the many thousands of doctors who use it a valuable source of up-to-date clinical knowledge that covers both specialties. This development can help ensure that the many thousands of nocturia sufferers will receive better treatment,” says Elsevier executive publisher of European Urology, Koos Admiraal, in a release.

As an associate editor, Bliwise will be tasked with selecting the latest relevant research articles and providing expert commentaries for users of the Resource Centre. The platform is available for use by any healthcare professional around the globe.