Spanish urologists continue European recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• According to survey, with 388 urologists from all regions, both at the hospital as an outpatient, and public and private.

• Spain is an international reference in Urology, for their high scientific level and action in daily clinical practice.

• The firm has received the second prize for Best Oral Communication in the X International Congress of the Iberoamerican Society of Urogynecology and Neurourología (SINUG).


Spanish urologists showed almost unanimous agreement with the recommendations established for their specialty throughout Europe regarding the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). So reveals a study that involved 388 urologists from all over Spain, and has received the second prize for best Poster / Oral Communication at the X International Congress of the Iberoamerican Society of Urogynecology and Neurourología (SINUG) held in Portugal last October.

The objective of this research, says Dr. Andres de Palacio, principal investigator of the study and clinical chief of the Urology Department of the Hospital San Rafael de Madrid, was "to assess the diagnosis and treatment performed by urologists Spanish patients with BPH in their daily practice "and" measure the degree of agreement with the recommendations on the management of these patients, which were made in 2006 by the European Association of Urology (EAU-short).

For the study, which has enjoyed the patronage of Astellas Pharma and entitled "Therapeutic and diagnostic approach in routine clinical practice for patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS / BPH) Queries Urology "We surveyed 388 urologists from all regions, both at the hospital as an outpatient, and public and private.

Among the findings, highlights the fact that most specialists followed the recommendations of the UAE, which allows professionals to "unify" and "constantly updated on the various pathologies, to give the patient the best approaches diagnosis and therapy, both pharmacological and surgical, such as laser, "specifies Andrés Palacio.

The doctor says, well, that Spain has been "referring to the European and global urology with a high-level scientific and action in daily clinical practice, not only in the HBP, but in all the pathologies covering the specialty. " This is demonstrated by the Spanish participation in the expert committee that drafted the recommendations in 2006.

Pharmacological treatment of BPH
Regarding the drug most frequently chosen by urologists as a first option, the study shows that monotherapy, one in 55.2% of the cases, the drug combination in 19.4% of the time. "The single is the use of herbal medicine alone, alpha-blockers or inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase, whereas the combination therapy, involves the administration of an alpha-blocker and an inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase," explains Dr. Palacio.

Within combination therapy, the research reveals that 77.3% of physicians recognized the combination of alpha-blockers and inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase as the most common. Dr. Andres de Palacio argues that this election is that "it is very beneficial for patients because they receive prompt and sustained resolution of symptoms caused by alpha-blockers and long-term benefits of treatment with inhibitors of 5 alpha-reductase.
Likewise, a 97.2% of physicians considered the study of alpha-blockers as an effective therapy for BPH, "because it produces a more rapid improvement of symptoms and urinary flow rate." Among the alpha-blockers, Dr. de Palacio stressed the effectiveness of tamsulosin, a drug of last generation and is characterized by a very rapid and sustained relief in time of prostatic symptoms. For the specialist, now is the one with less incidence of cardiovascular side effects. "

Finally, in relation to diagnostic procedures, between 96% and 100% of urologists surveyed agreed that the most frequent are the history, physical examination, determination of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and touch rectum. At the other extreme, only 36% said their agreement with the recommendation of using voiding diary, a document completed by the patient which contains the number of voids and volume of urine at each micturition.