PURPOSE: We aimed to describe, in a daily clinical practice setting, the demographic and comorbidity profile of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH-LUTS), to compare the characteristics of patients receiving 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) with those not receiving them and to investigate predictors of 5-ARI prescription.
METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study using data retrieved from a general practitioners database. Male patients with diagnosis of BPH-LUTS were included. The following demographic and clinical data were available and extracted: age, comorbidities, BPH-LUTS medical therapy, drugs for comorbidities. A subgroup analysis was performed according to the use of 5-ARIs. Factors associated with 5-ARI prescription were assessed with uni- and multivariate analyses.
RESULTS: A total of 7,103 patients were identified. Most patients (71.7 %) were aged ≥65 years. Hypertension was present in 64.9 % of patients; it was the most prevalent comorbidity followed by diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease and other dyslipidemias. Overall, 38.22 % of patients were treated with 5-ARIs. Mean age of patients taking 5-ARIs was significantly higher. The prevalence of hypertension and the use of antihypertensive drugs were significantly higher among patients receiving 5-ARIs. Older age was an independent predictor of 5-ARI prescription.
CONCLUSIONS: In a daily clinical practice setting, patients with BPH-LUTS receiving 5-ARIs are significantly older and have significantly higher prevalence of hypertension if compared with patients with BPH-LUTS not receiving 5-ARIs. Older age is an independent predictor of 5-ARI prescription.
Written by:
Fusco F, Arcaniolo D, Creta M, Piccinocchi G, Arpino G, Laringe M, Piccinocchi R, Longo N, Verze P, Mangiapia F, Imperatore V, Mirone V. Are you the author?
Urologic Clinic, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Reference: World J Urol. 2014 Dec 10. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1007/s00345-014-1460-9
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25491675