Pentoxifylline with tamsulosin significantly improves lower urinary symptoms in BPH patients, finds study

A recent research published in the journal of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms found that adding Pentoxifylline to tamsulosin improved the lower urinary symptoms of individuals with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This medicine combo is well tolerated and has showed better treatment results than tamsulosin alone. 

A disorder known as benign prostatic hyperplasia is brought on by an enlarged prostate gland, which may impede or obstruct the flow of urine. BPH is a male-only condition that affects about 8% of males between the ages of 31 and 40. Over 80% of males over 80 suffer from BPH. Many BPH-afflicted males do not exhibit any symptoms. The most typical symptoms in males include leakage or dribbling of urine, a weak urine stream, and the urge to pee often (during the day and night). Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are the term for these symptoms. Men with unpleasant symptoms who have not responded to lifestyle modifications might be treated with one or more medications or have surgery.

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) is common in older persons, and it is largely caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. These lower urinary tract problems can be addressed surgically or medically. Pentoxifylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, may assist BOO patients more than tamsulosin because of its effects on microcirculatory blood flow and ischemic tissue oxygenation. Thereby, Mehdi Shirazi and colleagues undertook this experiment to investigate the effectiveness of Pentoxifylline in combination with Tamsulosin in treating BOO patients.

In 2022, this randomized, double-blind clinical trial included 60 individuals with BPH from a single site. The eligible patients were randomly assigned to the intervention (Pentoxifylline + tamsulosin) or control (placebo + tamsulosin) groups. At the start of the trial and after the 12th week, the patients were assessed for their international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), maximal urine flow rate (Qmax) by uroflowmetry, and post-void residual volume (PVR) by abdominal sonography.

The patients who received the combined medication showed considerable improvement in prostate symptoms and quality of life (IPSS: -36.6%, QoL: -45.3%) when compared to the patients who got tamsulosin alone (IPSS: -21.2%, QoL: -27.7%) (p <.001). This study found that combination treatment improves maximal urine flow rate and residual volume more considerably (Qmax: +42.5%, PVR: -42.6%) than monotherapy (Qmax: +25.1%, PVR: -26.1%) (p <.001). Overall, pentoxifylline, when taken with tamsulosin, has been shown to considerably relieve lower urinary symptoms of the BPH patients. It is well tolerated, and patients who take both Pentoxifylline and Tamsulosin have better treatment results than those who receive only Tamsulosin.

Reference:

Shirazi, M., Dehghanmanshadi, A., Sadr, S., & Jahanabadi, Z. (2024). Comparison between combination of tamsulosin and Pentoxifylline versus tamsulosin alone in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostate hyperplasia: A preliminary study. In LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (Vol. 16, Issue 1). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/luts.12509