Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026

Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing
Published on: August 14, 2019
Is Tamsulosin 0.2 mg Effective and Safe as a First-Line Treatment Compared with Other Alpha Blockers?: A
Sung Ryul Shim1, Jae Heon Kim2, In Ho Chang3
1Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology Research, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Purpose:
Tamsulosin 0.2 mg is used widely in Asian people, but the low dose has been studied less than tamsulosin 0.4 mg or other alpha blockers of standard dose. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin 0.2 mg by a meta-analysis and meta-regression.
Materials And Methods:
We conducted a meta-analysis of efficacy of tamsulosin 0.2 mg using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximal urinary flow rate (Qmax), post-voided residual volume (PVR), and quality of life (QoL). Safety was analyzed using adverse events. Relevant studies were searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library from January 1980 to June 2013.
Results:
Ten studies were included with a total sample size of 1418 subjects [722 tamsulosin 0.2 mg group and 696 other alpha-blockers (terazosin, doxazosin, naftopidil, silodosin) group]. Study duration ranged from 4 to 24 weeks. The pooled overall standardized mean differences (SMD) in the mean change of IPSS from baseline for the tamsulosin group versus the control group was 0.02 [95% confidence interval (CI); -0.20, 0.25]. The pooled overall SMD in the mean change of QoL from baseline for the tamsulosin group versus the control group was 0.16 (95% CI; -0.16, 0.48). The regression analysis with the continuous variables (number of patients, study duration) revealed no significance in all outcomes as IPSS, QoL, and Qmax.
Conclusion:
This study clarifies that tamsulosin 0.2 mg has similar efficacy and fewer adverse events compared with other alpha-blockers as an initial treatment strategy for men with lower urinary tract symptoms.
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