BACKGROUND: Alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are common drugs used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a prevalent problem in older men associated with significant morbidity and cost.
Data regarding how these medications affect skeletal health and fracture risk remain scarce.
METHODS: Studies were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library and Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. Studies involving BPH patients that reported odds ratio (OR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between fractures and exposure to 5-alpha reductase inhibitors or alpha-blockers were included. Pooled ORs were calculated using the random-effects model.
RESULTS: Three studies addressed fracture risk in patients exposed to 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (21,366 fracture cases). Four studies addressed fracture risk in patients exposed to alpha-blockers (22,051 fracture cases). The pooled OR for fractures with 5-alpha reductase inhibitor use was 0.9 (95% CI = 0.7-1.1). For hip/femur fractures with 5-alpha reductase inhibitor use, the pooled OR was 0.8 (95% CI = 0.7-1.0). The pooled OR for fractures with alpha-blockers was 1.1 (95% CI = 0.9-1.3). There was significant statistical heterogeneity among studies for alpha-blockers.
CONCLUSIONS: In patients with BPH, exposure to 5-alpha reductase inhibitors was not associated with change in fracture risk. The 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may have a small protective effect against hip/femur fractures although this was not statistically significant. Although alpha-blockers were not associated with change in fracture risk, caution is required when interpreting the results as significant heterogeneity was present.
Written by:
Lim SY, Laengvejkal P, Panikkath R, Nugent K. Are you the author?
Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas.
Reference: Am J Med Sci. 2013 Nov 21. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1097/MAJ.0b013e3182a2169c
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24270079
