OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combined therapy of doxazosin and tolterodine for BPH patients with dominant storage symptoms.

METHODSFrom May 2009 to April 2010, 76 patients diagnosed as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), flowmetry, ultrasound for prostate volume, residual urine and other methods were included in the study, all of them fulfilled the study's inclusive/exclusive criteria. The principal exclusive criteria were prostate volume > 50 ml, maximum flow rate (Qmax) < 10 ml/s and residual urine > 100 ml. All 76 patients had bothering storage symptoms and divided randomly into two groups:doxazosin group (n = 36) in which patients were treated with doxazosin 2 mg once daily for 8 weeks, and combination group (n = 40) in which patients were treated with doxazosin 2 mg once daily and tolterodine 2 mg twice daily for 8 weeks.

RESULTSAt baseline, there was no significant differences. The IPSS was significantly improved in the two groups after treatment, but the reduction of IPSS in combination group was significantly greater (18.7 ± 2.2 vs 12.7 ± 3.9) than that in doxazosin group (18.6 ± 3.0 vs 15.2 ± 3.8) (P < 0.05), and the decreased storage IPSS was the main contribution to the reduction of IPSS in combination group. There was no difference between the groups for Qmax and residual urine.

CONCLUSIONSCombined therapy with doxazosin plus tolterodine for BPH patients with dominant storage symptoms can improve the IPSS, especially the storage IPSS, without any negative effects on uroflow rate and residual urine.