Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Medications to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia fall into two main categories: α1-adrenergic–antagonist drugs, which relax smooth muscle in the prostate, and drugs that inhibit 5α-reductase, which shrink the prostate by blocking the formation of the chief intracellular androgen, dihydrotestosterone.1 The main question is, Which drug is better, or would a combination of the two work best? In this issue of the Journal, Lepor et al. report the results of a landmark study by the Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Study Group that attempts to answer this question.2 The authors found that treatment with terazosin, an α . . .