title: Lower urinary tract symptoms/benign prostatic hyperplasia: maintaining symptom control and reducing complications.
abstract: Because the average patient with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or LUTS/BPH, has a remaining life expectancy of 15 to 20 years, both short-term and long-term outcomes matter in the management of LUTS/BPH. Sustained symptom control and improvement of quality of life (QOL), control of disease progression (ie, prevention or reduction of bladder wall hypertrophy [BWH]/increased bladder mass and reduction of the risk of serious complications), and minimization of the need to switch to other medical therapy or surgery are important. In this respect, alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as tamsulosin, have been shown to provide effective and rapid relief of symptoms and improvement in QOL, which is sustained in the long term (up to 6 years). Obstruction may, in the long term, induce changes in the bladder wall (eg, BWH), which may result in (irreversible) bladder damage and serious complications. Preliminary data suggest that alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonists prevent the development of BWH in rabbits and reduce existing BWH in obstructed LUTS/BPH patients. Pooled analyses and indirect comparisons of clinical studies up to 1 year have shown that alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as tamsulosin, reduce the risk of acute urinary retention and the need for surgery to at least the same extent as the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride. In addition, monotherapy with an alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist reduces the risk of long-term clinical progression; the combination with finasteride may be more beneficial in patients at high risk (patients with large prostate volume, high level of prostate-specific antigen, high International Prostate Symptom Score, high postvoid residual amount, and low maximum flow rate). Therefore, alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonists, such as tamsulosin, are first-line therapy, not only in the short term but also in the long-term management of LUTS/BPH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. moleary1@partners.org
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: O'Leary
mesh_terms: D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011817:Rabbits; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate; D014524:Urethral Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011799:Quinazolines; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen