Medical therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia: new terminology, new concepts, better choices

This article discusses 3 areas of medical therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) that are undergoing extensive research and evaluation: 1) the use of muscarinic receptor antagonists to treat lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with BPH; 2) the definition of an "enlarged prostate"; and 3) sexual function and LUTS. Fears of worsening obstructive symptoms or causing acute urinary retention often keep practitioners from prescribing muscarinic receptor antagonists to men who might have concomitant bladder outlet obstruction; a multicenter, multinational, double-blind study showed that tolterodine is safe for men with low postvoid residual volumes. Most urologists accept that a prostate volume of more than 40 mL is consistent with an enlarged prostate; there is more debate regarding prostate volumes of 30 to 40 mL. Recently presented data suggest that combination medical therapy might be effective for men having prostates with volumes of more than 25 mL. The association between voiding and sexual function has been increasingly recognized and investigated, and there seem to be common pathophysiologic mechanisms governing both conditions. Targeted treatment algorithms addressing both conditions seem warranted.