A comparative study of terazosin and tamsulosin for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia in Japanese patients

Abstract

Objective To compare the ef®cacy and safety of an incremental-dose regimen of terazosin (1±2 mg daily) and a ®xed-dose regimen of tamsulosin (0.2 mg daily), on Japanese patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Patients and methods This multicentre, single-blind, randomized trial compared terazosin and tamsulosin over 4 weeks, in 61 patients with symptomatic BPH randomly assigned to terazosin (n=31) or tamsulosin (n=30). Terazosin 0.5 mg twice daily was administered for 2 weeks, followed by 1 mg twice daily for 2 weeks. Tamsulosin (0.2 mg) was administered once daily for 4 weeks. Symptoms were evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and quality of life (QOL) was assessed subjectively before treatment, and again after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.Objective measurements taken before and after the treatment period were the maximum (Q max ) and average (Q ave ) urinary¯ow rates, and the percentage residual urine volume. Improvement was de®ned as a 25% decrease from baseline in IPSS, >1 point increase in QOL score, and >2.5 mL/s increase in Q max . Adverse reactions potentially related to the study drugs were recorded throughout the treatment period. Results Both terazosin and tamsulosin produced statistically signi®cant improvements in subjective and objective variables. Neither treatment affected systolic or diastolic blood pressure or pulse rate. Adverse reactions were noted in four patients (three in the terazosin group and one in the tamsulosin group). However, there was no statistically signi®cant difference in the incidence of adverse effects between the groups. Conclusions Despite the limitations of small sample size and relatively short treatment periods, terazosin and tamsulosin were equally effective in the treatment of symptomatic BPH in Japanese patients, using relatively lower doses than those used in Western countries.

Comparison of Different Alpha-blocker Combinations in Male Hypertensives with Refractory Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

“…In Asia, the appropriate dose of tamsulosin has been regarded as 0.2 mg, and this dose is used in the Republic of Korea and Japan, but in the United States and Europe, 0.4 mg is used for efficacy and safety. 7,26,27 With the approval by medical insurance, dose escalation of tamsulosin up to 0.4 mg is becoming popular in selected patients in Korea as well.…”

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

“…13 The second subsequent RCT (61 men) compared terazosin against tamsulosin and found no significant difference in international prostate symptom score. 14 The third RCT comparing terazosin against alfuzosin also found no significant difference in the score. 15 Versus 5 reductase inhibitors: We found no systematic review.…”

“…12 Versus each other: The first systematic review 9 identified three head to head comparisons that reported TURP versus less invasive surgical techniques clinical outcomes, and we found three subsequent RCTs of limited quality. [13][14][15] The largest RCT in the review (256 men) compared tamsulosin against alfuzosin. 12 The second RCT (103 men) compared alfuzosin against prazosin, and the third trial (98 men) compared tamsulosin against terazosin.…”

The effect of α-blocker therapy on erectile functions in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostate hyperplasia

“…A 6-week treatment phase was also employed in previous studies. They were able to observe the improvement of IPSS and Q max scores in a 6-week treatment phase or in an even shorter period (4 weeks) [24].…”

“…ED was diagnosed according to IIEF when total of IIEF-EF domain scores were < 26 points. The scoring of the IIEF-EF domain allowed classification of each patient as having no (26-30), mild (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25), moderate (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16) or severe (1-10) ED. Adverse events were assessed at the end of the treatment course.…”