[Benign prostatic hyperplasia medical treatment: systematic review of the literature by the CTMH/AFU] - Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The medical treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS-BPH) has dramatically evolved within the last years: new drugs have been commercialized and others that used to be contra-indicated may now be prescribed. Our objective was to provide with an updated review of the scientific literature on the medical treatment of LUTS-BPH.

PATIENT AND METHOD: A systematic review of the most recent scientific literature was performed. The query was addressed to the PubMed database using the following keywords: "benign prostatic hyperplasia" and "medical treatment". A very large amount of publications, from year 1990 until 2011, were reviewed to select the publications with level of evidence 1 and 2. These publications were analysed and the 30 most relevant were selected to serve as references for this article.

RESULTS: There are many randomized clinical trials in the field of LUTS-BPH medical treatment. Recently, anti-muscarinic agents have been assessed and have proven their efficacy and tolerance as long as the storage symptoms are predominant over the voiding symptoms. Combination therapies using alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase (5-ARI) inhibitors, but also anti-muscarinic agents and PDEF-5 inhibitors may also be prescribed depending on the patient' complaint.

CONCLUSION: The publication of recent randomized clinical trials allows the urologists to use new drugs and new combination therapies in the medical treatment of LUTS-BPH. In 2011, the medical treatment decision-making may better integrate the patient' complaint and medical history.

Written by:
Robert G, Descazeaud A, Delongchamps NB, Cornu JN, Azzouzi AR, Haillot O, Devonec M, Fourmarier M, Ballereau C, Lukacs B, Dumonceau O, Saussine C, de la Taille A; Comité des troubles mictionnels de l’homme de l’Association française d’urologie.   Are you the author?
Service d'urologie, CHU de Bordeaux, université Bordeaux-Segalen, place Amélie-Raba-Léon, 33000 Bordeaux, France.

Reference: Prog Urol. 2012 Jan;22(1):7-12
doi: 10.1016/j.purol.2011.07.009

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22195999

[Article in French]