History of 7,093 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia treated with alfuzosin in general practice up to 3 years.
OBJECTIVE
As we have previously published 4 articles reporting the treatment of 7,093 clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients treated with alfuzosin in a 3-month open-labelled study which was subsequently extended to 12, 24, and 36 months, the objective of this article is to provide additional data on dropouts, acute urinary retention (AUR), progression to surgery, and safety under the natural conditions of general practice, paying special attention to the predictive factors.


METHODS
7,093 patients were initially enrolled by 1,812 centers for up to 3 months. Subsequently 1,508, 1,325, and 812 general practitioners agreed to extend the study up to 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively, which corresponds to 4 patient populations.


RESULTS
The baseline symptom profile of patients who completed the study was identical to that of patients who dropped out (because the center resigned or during treatment). In the 4 patient populations, the percentage of patients per month who dropped out, experienced adverse effects, AUR and surgery were 0. 6-1.6, 0.1-0.5, 0.01-0.03, and 0.1-0.3%, respectively. The classes of symptom severity were not predictive for dropouts: 3.5, 12.6, 20, and 14.3% of the severe patients dropped out during treatment versus 4.2, 13.7, 22.9, and 14.0% of the moderate patients who dropped out up to 3, 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. Safety was satisfactory regarding the number of adverse events and blood pressure measurement. No retrograde ejaculation was reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Under the natural conditions of general practice the reasons for dropping out were not correlated with symptom severity.
Lukacs
B
B
Urology Department, Tenon Hospital, Paris, France.
Grange
J C
JC
Comet
D
D
McCarthy
C
C
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005194:Family Practice; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011799:Quinazolines; C047638:alfuzosin