Combination of α-blocker and 5α-reductase inhibitor for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

This study compared the efficacy of an α-blocker monotherapy alone with a combination of α-blocker plus 5α-reductase in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane databases) and Google Scholar were searched until May 2015 using the following search terms: ([α-blocker] AND 5α-reductase inhibitor) AND benign prostatic hyperplasia; and benign prostatic hyperplasia AND (adrenergic alpha blockers OR 5 alpha reductase inhibitor). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included men with a clinical diagnosis of BPH were included. Eligible studies had to have an intervention group that received combination therapy (5α reductase inhibitor plus α-blocker) and a control group that received only α-blocker. Quality assessment and sensitivity analysis were performed. Six studies were included. Combination therapy was found to significantly reduce urinary retention incidence rate (OR=0.286, 95%CI: 0.199 - 0.412, P.