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Pharmacotherapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia: Inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase

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Abstract

We studied the effects of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study is a randomized controlled trial. Sixty-two patients were treated with 5 alpha-reductase (finasteride 5 mg/day) and 61 patients (control group) with placebo for one year. Prostatic volume, maximal urine flow rate, AUA symptom scoring, residual urine volume and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were evaluated at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

In the first 6 months prostatic volume decreased rapidly (20.5%), in the second 6 months it decreased slowly and reached the maximal rate (23.3%). Maximal urine flow rate increased in the second 6 months. AUA symptom scores decreased first at 3 months and were 4.6 points lower at the end of the 12th month. There were no significant changes in residual volume. The 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor caused a 50% decrease in PSA levels, like in other studies.

Becuase of the prolonged use of the drug, treatment with 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor is not tolerated by many patients and being expensive its future in the pharmacotherapy of BPH is unclear.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Atatürk University School of Medicine, Research Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey

    Ö. Polat, I. Özbey, O. Gül, A. Demirel & Y. Bayraktar

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  1. Ö. Polat
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  2. I. Özbey
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  3. O. Gül
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  4. A. Demirel
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  5. Y. Bayraktar
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Polat, Ö., Özbey, I., Gül, O. et al. Pharmacotherapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia: Inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase. International Urology and Nephrology 29, 323–330 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02550930

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02550930

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