Combination pharmacological therapies for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a highly prevalent condition of older men caused by unregulated growth of the prostate gland. Clinical trials of medical therapy for BPH have consistently demonstrated that combined therapy with an α(1)-adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonist and a 5α-reductase inhibitor is superior to either agent alone. The addition of anticholinergic therapy to a treatment regimen could effectively improve symptoms in men with persistent storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) who have not seen a benefit with an α(1)-AR antagonist or 5α-reductase inhibitor. Among α(1)-AR antagonists, doxazosin, terazosin, tamsulosin, and alfuzosin, although with slight differences in adverse event profiles, are equivalent in effectiveness and efficacy. No data in the form of direct comparator trials exist to suggest a difference in clinical efficacy of finasteride and dutasteride, the two 5α-reductase inhibitors currently available. Current American Urological Association guidelines do not recommend phytotherapy or dietary supplements in any combination for the medical management of BPH. The current literature supports the safety and efficacy of the combination of an α(1)-AR antagonist and a 5α-reductase inhibitor in the treatment of symptomatic BPH and, in select patients, the use of an α(1)-AR antagonist and anticholinergic medication in the treatment of LUTS suggestive of BPH.