This combination seems to be more efficacious in terms of several outcome variables in patients whose prostate volume is between 30 ml and 40 ml when treatment is maintained for > 1 yr ; when given for < 1 yr , α1-blockers alone are just as effective .
The combination of α1-blocker/5-ARI shows a slightly increased rate of adverse events .
It remains unknown whether its safety and superiority over either drug as monotherapy are sustained after > 6 yr .
The α1-blocker/muscarinic receptor antagonist ( antimuscarinic ) combination was most frequently assessed as an add-on therapy to already existing α1-blocker therapy .
Inconsistent data derive from heterogeneous study population s and different study design s. Currently , the α1-blocker/antimuscarinic combination appears to be a second-line add-on for patients with insufficient symptom relief after monotherapy .
The combination seems to be safe in men with postvoid residual < 200 ml .
The α1-blocker/phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor combination is a new treatment option with only preliminary reports .
CONCLUSIONS An α1-blocker/5-ARI combination is beneficial for patients whose prostate volume is between 30 ml and 40 ml when medical treatment is intended for > 1 yr .
Based on short-term follow-up studies , add-on of antimuscarinics to α1-blockers is an option when postvoid residual is < 200 ml
BACKGROUND Several drugs are approved for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) in men , but these are mostly used by clinicians as monotherapies .
The combination of different compounds , each of which targets a different aspect of LUTS , seems appealing .
However , only few clinical trials have evaluated the effects of combination therapies .
OBJECTIVE This systematic review analyzes the efficacy and adverse events of combination therapies for male LUTS .
Changes in nocturia from medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: secondary analysis of the Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Trial.
PURPOSE We evaluate the efficacy of medical therapy on nocturia in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ) . MATERIAL S AND METHODS We performed a secondary analysis of data from the VA Cooperative Study Program Trial in which 1,229 men with BPH 45 to 80 years old were r and omly assigned to receive terazosin , finasteride , combination or placebo . RESULTS The 1,078 men who completed 12 months of the trial are included in this study . Of those men 1,040 ( 96.5 % ) had at least 1 episode of nocturia at baseline and 38 ( 3.5 % ) had less than 1 episode ( baseline nocturia is an average of 2 measures ) . Of those 1,040 men 788 ( 75.8 % ) had 2 or more nocturia episodes . Overall , nocturia decreased from a baseline mean of 2.5 to 1.8 , 2.1 , 2.0 and 2.1 episodes in the terazosin , finasteride , combination and placebo groups , respectively . Of men with 2 or more episodes of nocturia 50 % reduction in nocturia was seen in 39 % , 25 % , 32 % and 22 % in the terazosin , finasteride , combination and placebo groups , respectively . Changes in nocturia were correlated with changes in reported bother from nocturia ( Pearson correlation 0.48 ) , BPH impact index ( 0.32 ) and overall satisfaction with urinary symptoms ( 0.33 ) . CONCLUSIONS Terazosin and combination therapy reduced nocturia in men with BPH , yet the net advantage of terazosin over placebo was a net reduction of 0.3 nocturia episode . For a person to reach a 50 % or greater reduction in nocturia , the advantage of terazosin over placebo was 17 percentage points . Changes in nocturia had a moderate impact on symptom specific quality of life measures
This combination seems to be more efficacious in terms of several outcome variables in patients whose prostate volume is between 30 ml and 40 ml when treatment is maintained for > 1 yr ; when given for < 1 yr , α1-blockers alone are just as effective .
The combination of α1-blocker/5-ARI shows a slightly increased rate of adverse events .
It remains unknown whether its safety and superiority over either drug as monotherapy are sustained after > 6 yr .
The α1-blocker/muscarinic receptor antagonist ( antimuscarinic ) combination was most frequently assessed as an add-on therapy to already existing α1-blocker therapy .
Inconsistent data derive from heterogeneous study population s and different study design s. Currently , the α1-blocker/antimuscarinic combination appears to be a second-line add-on for patients with insufficient symptom relief after monotherapy .
The combination seems to be safe in men with postvoid residual < 200 ml .
The α1-blocker/phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor combination is a new treatment option with only preliminary reports .
CONCLUSIONS An α1-blocker/5-ARI combination is beneficial for patients whose prostate volume is between 30 ml and 40 ml when medical treatment is intended for > 1 yr .
Based on short-term follow-up studies , add-on of antimuscarinics to α1-blockers is an option when postvoid residual is < 200 ml
BACKGROUND Several drugs are approved for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) in men , but these are mostly used by clinicians as monotherapies .
The combination of different compounds , each of which targets a different aspect of LUTS , seems appealing .
However , only few clinical trials have evaluated the effects of combination therapies .
OBJECTIVE This systematic review analyzes the efficacy and adverse events of combination therapies for male LUTS .