Study on Tamsulosin for Overactive Bladder in Men

Atlanta, GA: Initiation of short course tamsulosin (α-blocker therapy) in men helps in reducing the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB), finds a recent study in the journal Urology.

Theodore M. Johnson II, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, and colleagues aimed to evaluate tamsulosin therapy for male OAB and to examine if indicators of concomitant benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) cause improvement in OAB symptoms.

For the purpose, the researchers performed a planned, exploratory analysis of a 4-week, α-blocker (tamsulosin 0.4mg) run-in phase of the Male Overactive Bladder Trial in Veterans (MOTIVE). It included 116 male Veterans (aged 42-88 years) with urinary urgency and urinary frequency (> 8 voids / 24 hours). They were made to complete bladder diaries, answer symptom questionnaires (AUA-7 SI). Also, post-void residual and non-invasive uroflowmetry were measured.

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Key Findings of the Study

• There were statistically significant reductions in voiding frequency (11.3 to 10.0 voids/24 hours), urgency scores (mean 2.5 to 2.2 points), and nightly nocturia (2.1 to 1.8).
• Only baseline AUA-7 SI total and voiding subscale categories (mild, moderate, severe) were associated with significant reduction in AUA-7 SI total score.
• For continuous variables, only AUA-7 SI baseline total score was associated with AUA-7 SI storage symptom changes.
• No other baseline measures were associated with changes in urgency, frequency, or nocturia.

"Our findings indicate that initiation of short course tamsulosin therapy in men was associated with statistical reduction in OAB symptoms," wrote the authors.

"Baseline post-void residual, uroflow rate, and the voiding symptom sub-score of the AUA-7 SI were not predictive of OAB symptom improvement with tamsulosin. These findings merit further exploration," they concluded.

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The study titled, "An exploratory analysis of tamsulosin for Overactive Bladder (OAB) in men with varying voiding symptom burden," is published in the journal Urology.

DOI: https://www.goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(21)00085-6/fulltext