EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS The most studied combination therapy for the treatment of male LUTS is the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist/5α-reductase inhibitor combination .
This combination seems to be more efficacious in terms of several outcome variables , in particular in men who have moderate-to-severe LUTS and are at risk of disease progression .
Also in terms of nocturia improvements , this combination is significantly more effective than the monotherapy .
The other often studied combination treatment , in both male and female patients with LUTS , was the combination of antimuscarinics ( in particular solifenacin ) and mirabegron .
This combination seems to be more effective in comparison with the monotherapies with respect to urinary incontinence and urgency urinary incontinence episodes and several other objective and subjective parameters , without relevant increase of adverse events .
The combination of hormone therapy and antimuscarinics in women with LUTS does not seem to be useful .
For the treatment of LUTS in men and women , combination therapy appears to be a promising option to optimize the efficacy of the available drugs for those who do not experience sufficient benefit with monotherapy .
This add-on scenario offers the possibility to have a more tailored approach to the management of LUTS , always seeking the optimal balance between efficacy and tolerability for a given patient .
PATIENT SUMMARY Some combination of drugs may offer advantages over monotherapies for the treatment of voiding and storage complaints in men and women
CONTEXT Several drugs are approved and available for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) in men and women .
However , the vast majority of available data , upon which the approval and recommendation in guidelines are based , considered only the role of the monotherapies and did not evaluate possible combination therapies .
OBJECTIVE This systematic review analyzes the efficacy and adverse events of combination therapies for male and female LUTS .
Effect of Improvement in Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms on Sexual Function in Men: Tamsulosin Monotherapy vs. Combination Therapy of Tamsulosin and Solifenacin
Purpose To evaluate how much the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) affects sexual function and which storage symptoms or voiding symptoms have the greatest effect on sexual function . Material s and Methods A total of 187 patients were enrolled in this study . Patients were r and omly assigned to receive either tamsulosin 0.2 mg ( group A ) or tamsulosin 0.2 mg and solifenacin 5 mg ( group B ) . At 4 weeks and 12 weeks , the LUTS and sexual function of the patients were evaluated by use of the International Index of Erectile Function-5 ( IIEF5 ) , International Prostate Symptom Score ( IPSS ) , Overactive Bladder Symptom Score ( OABSS ) question naire , uroflowmetry , and bladder scan . Results Both groups A and B showed statistically significant improvements in IPSS , OABSS , and quality of life ( QoL ) . Group A showed improved maximum flow rate , mean flow rate , and residual urine volume by time . Group B did not show an improvement in flow rate or residual urine volume but total voiding volume increased with time . The IIEF5 score was not improved in either group . In group A , the IIEF5 score dropped from 13.66±4.97 to 11.93±6.14 after 12 weeks ( p=0.072 ) . Group B showed a decline in the IIEF5 score from 13.19±5.91 to 12.45±6.38 ( p=0.299 ) . Although group B showed a relatively smaller decrease in the IIEF5 score , the difference between the two groups was not significant ( p=0.696 ) . Conclusions Tamsulosin monotherapy and combination therapy with solifenacin did not improve erectile function despite improvements in voiding symptoms and QoL. The improvement in storage symptoms did not affect erectile function
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS The most studied combination therapy for the treatment of male LUTS is the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist/5α-reductase inhibitor combination .
This combination seems to be more efficacious in terms of several outcome variables , in particular in men who have moderate-to-severe LUTS and are at risk of disease progression .
Also in terms of nocturia improvements , this combination is significantly more effective than the monotherapy .
The other often studied combination treatment , in both male and female patients with LUTS , was the combination of antimuscarinics ( in particular solifenacin ) and mirabegron .
This combination seems to be more effective in comparison with the monotherapies with respect to urinary incontinence and urgency urinary incontinence episodes and several other objective and subjective parameters , without relevant increase of adverse events .
The combination of hormone therapy and antimuscarinics in women with LUTS does not seem to be useful .
For the treatment of LUTS in men and women , combination therapy appears to be a promising option to optimize the efficacy of the available drugs for those who do not experience sufficient benefit with monotherapy .
This add-on scenario offers the possibility to have a more tailored approach to the management of LUTS , always seeking the optimal balance between efficacy and tolerability for a given patient .
PATIENT SUMMARY Some combination of drugs may offer advantages over monotherapies for the treatment of voiding and storage complaints in men and women
CONTEXT Several drugs are approved and available for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) in men and women .
However , the vast majority of available data , upon which the approval and recommendation in guidelines are based , considered only the role of the monotherapies and did not evaluate possible combination therapies .
OBJECTIVE This systematic review analyzes the efficacy and adverse events of combination therapies for male and female LUTS .