Risk higher for men on alpha-blockers versus 5-alpha reductase inhibitors<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Medications used for enlarged prostate are associated with a small, but significant, increase in developing heart failure, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in The<\/em> Journal of Urology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Avril Lusty, M.D., from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues used administrative databases to identify 175,201 men older than 66 years with a diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) between 2005 and 2015. The primary outcome of new cardiac failure was compared for men with 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5ARI) exposure and\/or alpha-blocker (\u00ce\u00b1-blocker) exposure.<\/p>\n The researchers identified 8,339 men exposed to 5ARI, 55,383 exposed to \u00ce\u00b1-blockers, and 41,491 using combination therapy. There was a higher risk observed for cardiac failure among men treated with 5ARI and \u00ce\u00b1-blocker, alone or in combination, versus men with no medication use. The risk for cardiac failure was highest for \u00ce\u00b1-blockers alone (hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.18 to 1.26), intermediate for combination \u00ce\u00b1-blockers\/5ARIs (HR, 1.16; 95 percent CI, 1.12 to 1.21), and lowest for 5ARI alone (HR, 1.09; 95 percent CI, 1.02 to 1.17). The risk for cardiac failure was higher for nonselective \u00ce\u00b1-blockers than selective \u00ce\u00b1-blockers (HR, 1.08; 95 percent CI, 1.00 to 1.17).<\/p>\n “This is an important finding, given that BPH is so common among older men, and that these medications are so widely used,” a coauthor said in a statement.<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/i><\/p>\n