Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
05:25
Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing
Published on: August 14, 2019
Combination antimuscarinics and alpha-blockers for benign prostatic hyperplasia
1Alliance Urology Specialists, Bladder Control and Pelvic Pain Center, 509 North Elam Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27104, USA. smacdiarmid@allianceurology.com
Current Urology Reports
|September 4, 2008
Summary
Millions of men experience lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and overactive bladder. Anticholinergics offer a safe and effective treatment option for men, alone or with alpha-blockers, especially when other therapies fail.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and overactive bladder significantly impact men's quality of life and healthcare costs.
- Alpha-adrenergic antagonists are standard first-line treatments for male LUTS.
- A significant portion of patients on alpha-blockers experience persistent storage symptoms, indicating unmet treatment needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anticholinergics in managing male LUTS.
- To explore the role of anticholinergics as monotherapy or in combination with alpha-blockers for persistent symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Review of current clinical data and experience with anticholinergic use in men with LUTS.
- Analysis of treatment outcomes for patients receiving anticholinergics alone or combined with alpha-blockers.
Main Results:
- Growing evidence supports the effectiveness of anticholinergics in treating male LUTS.
- Anticholinergic therapy demonstrates a favorable safety profile in the male population.
- Combination therapy with alpha-blockers may enhance symptom control for non-responders.
Conclusions:
- Anticholinergics represent a valuable therapeutic option for men with LUTS and overactive bladder.
- These agents can be used effectively as monotherapy or adjunctively with alpha-blockers to improve treatment outcomes.
- Further research may elucidate optimal patient selection and dosing strategies for anticholinergic therapy in men.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions
Antimuscarinic drugs block muscarinic receptors in multiple systems, including the gut, eye, smooth muscles, respiratory tract, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. They produce similar effects with varying selectivity depending on the specific agent and tissue. Here are the key pharmacological actions of antimuscarinics:
Gastrointestinal Effects: Antimuscarinics reduce gut contractions, increase gastric emptying, and slow intestinal transit. They partly inhibit gastric acid secretion...
Gastrointestinal Effects: Antimuscarinics reduce gut contractions, increase gastric emptying, and slow intestinal transit. They partly inhibit gastric acid secretion...
01:26Cholinergic Antagonists: Therapeutic Uses
Antimuscarinic drugs have various therapeutic applications by inhibiting parasympathetic stimulation in different systems. Here are the key therapeutic uses of antimuscarinics:
Respiratory Tract: Ipratropium, aclidinium, and tiotropium treat asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They protect against bronchoconstriction caused by irritants like cigarette smoke, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. They also help reduce nasopharyngeal secretions in common...
Respiratory Tract: Ipratropium, aclidinium, and tiotropium treat asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They protect against bronchoconstriction caused by irritants like cigarette smoke, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. They also help reduce nasopharyngeal secretions in common...
01:24Cholinergic Antagonists: Pharmacokinetics
Cholinergic antagonists—such as antimuscarinics—are available in oral, topical, ocular, parenteral, and inhalational formulations. Most antimuscarinics are oral formulations, while scopolamine is available as a topical patch, and ipratropium and tiotropium are available as inhalation aerosols or powders. Atropine, tropicamide, and cyclopentolate are topically instilled in the eye. Most antimuscarinics are lipid-soluble and readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and the conjunctiva.
01:22Adrenergic Antagonists: Pharmacological Actions of ɑ-Receptor Blockers
α-Adrenergic antagonists, known as α-blockers, exert their effects by inhibiting α-adrenoceptors, leading to specific physiological actions. α1-blockers and α2-blockers have distinct pharmacological actions and therapeutic applications.
α1-blockers: These drugs inhibit α1-adrenoceptors on smooth muscle cells, resulting in vasodilation. This vasodilation lowers blood pressure, making α1-blockers valuable in treating hypertension. Additionally, α1-blockers effectively address urinary obstruction...
α1-blockers: These drugs inhibit α1-adrenoceptors on smooth muscle cells, resulting in vasodilation. This vasodilation lowers blood pressure, making α1-blockers valuable in treating hypertension. Additionally, α1-blockers effectively address urinary obstruction...
01:20Antiasthma Drugs: Muscarinic Receptor Antagonists
Muscarinic receptor antagonists, also known as antimuscarinic agents, are a class of bronchodilators used to treat asthma, although they are more commonly used to treat COPD. They work by inhibiting the action of acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter, on muscarinic receptors found in the airways.
Antimuscarinic agents compete with ACh for the same binding site on the muscarinic receptors. By binding to these receptors, they inhibit the downstream effects of ACh and block the parasympathetic...
Antimuscarinic agents compete with ACh for the same binding site on the muscarinic receptors. By binding to these receptors, they inhibit the downstream effects of ACh and block the parasympathetic...
01:29Cholinergic Antagonists: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
Cholinergic antagonists bind to cholinergic receptors and limit the effects of acetylcholine and other cholinergic agonists. Based on the specific cholinergic receptor affinity, these antagonists are classified as muscarinic or nicotinic. Anticholinergics interrupt parasympathetic innervations while sympathetic innervations remain uninterrupted. Muscarinic antagonists are also called 'muscarinic antagonists', 'antimuscarinics', or 'parasympatholytics'. Nicotinic antagonists are called...