Clinical experience in Europe with uroselective alpha1-antagonists

alpha1-Adrenoreceptors are thought to be involved in prostate smooth muscle contractions and could hence play a role in the dynamic component of intravesical obstruction associated with symptomatic BPH. Consequently, since the mid-eighties alpha receptor blocking agents have been used for the treatment of BPH. Non-selective alpha blockers are usually associated with systemic side-effects which resulted in an exclusion or withdrawal of many patients from this form of treatment. With the availability of so-called uroselective alpha blockers the management picture has changed since it was anticipated that these compounds cause lesser side-effects with at least the same, or even better, efficacy. Comparative clinical studies are essential for determining the eventual advantages of the uroselective alpha1-antagonists and a large number of such studies have been performed worldwide studying the various available compounds. European studies with terazosin showed clear superiority of the drug over the placebo while causing only limited side-effects. Various other studies using alpha-blocking agents such as doxazosin, tamsulosin and alfuzosin yielded identical results. Especially with tamsulosin and alfuzosin, the side-effects were comparable with those encountered in the placebo group. About 7% of the patients using tamsulosin experienced retrograde ejaculation in one study which did not occur in the alfuzosin studies. Important studies in Europe have also investigated the value of a combination of an alpha blocker with a 5alpha-reductase inhibitor. Comparable studies in which both alfuzosin and doxazosin were combined with the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor Proscar have shown that a combination is not superior to a blocker monotherapy and especially in the ALFIN study the results show that alfuzosin monotherapy is superior to Proscar in the management of symptomatic BPH. European studies have evaluated Quality of Life, sexuality as well as socio-economical outcome of the treatment with alpha1 receptor antagonists. These studies completed the spectrum of clinical research in Europe in the important field of management of symptomatic BPH with uroselective alpha1 antagonists.