Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most
common health conditions among older men. According to
the National Institutes of Health, BPH affects more than
50%ofmen over age 60 and asmany as 90%ofmen over age 70.1
BPH is not a life-threatening condition, so treatment often
focuses on controlling symptoms. Symptoms can be either
irritative (eg, frequency, nocturia) or obstructive (eg, weak
stream, straining).
Symptom severity is subjective, being based on the
patient’s reported experience. However, the International
Prostate Symptom Score* (IPSS) can be a useful evaluative
tool since it provides a means to measure symptoms on
a scale from 1 to 35. A score of 1 to 7 is classified as mild
symptoms, 8 to 19 signifies moderate symptoms, and a score
from 20 to 35 signifies severe symptoms.2
As for managing symptoms, alpha-blockers have been
a mainstay of BPH therapy for many years. UROXATRAL®
(alfuzosin HCI) is an alpha-blocker with proven experience
since 2003. UROXATRAL works by relaxing the muscles of
the prostate and bladder neck to relieve BPH symptoms
regardless of age or prostate size.3
With the BPH population covering a wide range of ages,
the fact that UROXATRAL delivers powerful relief regardless
of age is a great asset for physicians. In a randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of BPH
patients aged 51 to 85 years (mean age, 65 years), 81%
of patients experienced symptom relief, which was defined as
an improvement of !3 points in IPSS after 3 months (P=.002
vs placebo).4a
In this same trial, UROXATRAL was effective in improving
both irritative and obstructive symptoms, by 2.6 points and
3.9 points, respectively, after 3 months (P<.05 vs placebo).4a
Prostate size can also vary greatly among patients
with BPH. In a pooled analysis of the 3 pivotal randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, UROXATRAL was
shown to deliver powerful relief regardless of prostate size.
In this trial, patients were stratified by prostate size into 1 of
3 groups (<30 mL, 30-40 mL, and >40 mL). UROXATRAL
demonstrated a consistent symptom improvement in all
3 groups (see Figure 1).5b
When treating older patients, such as men with
BPH, vasodilatory safety is an important concern.
UROXATRAL is proven to have a good safety profile.
In the 3 pivotal, 3-month, placebo-controlled studies of
UROXATRAL vs placebo, there was a low incidence of
vasodilatory adverse events: dizziness (5.7% vs 2.8%);
hypotension/postural hypotension (0.4% vs 0%); and
syncope (0.2% vs 0%). Also, in a 2-year, open-label trial,
the incidence of vasodilatory adverse events (dizziness,
hypotension/postural hypotension, and syncope) with
UROXATRAL was comparable for men whether they were
younger or older than 65 years (<65, 3.1%; !65, 5.2%;
P=NS).6c
Older men often have concomitant medical conditions
alongside BPH, such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease,
and diabetes. UROXATRAL has been proven safe even in men
with these comorbidities. In a 6-month, open-label trial,
there was no statistically significant difference in the
incidence of vasodilatory adverse events* among patients
with hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes vs
control† patients (see Figure 2).