Prostate Health

Key points

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia can be managed with monitoring, medicines or procedures, depending on how far symptoms affect daily life.
• Alpha blockers relax the smooth muscle around the bladder neck and prostate, while 5-alpha reductase inhibitors act on prostate growth itself.
• Lower urinary tract symptoms need proper assessment, since they do not automatically point to one single prostate diagnosis.
• Minipress contains an older alpha blocker used mainly for blood pressure, so its record sits apart from the benign prostatic hyperplasia group here.

Alpha blockers, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and Xtandi

Flomax, Cardura, Hytrin and Uroxatral all work as alpha blockers, easing lower urinary tract symptoms by relaxing muscle around the bladder neck rather than shrinking the prostate. Tamsulosin is the ingredient in Flomax, while Cardura, Hytrin and Uroxatral use doxazosin, terazosin and alfuzosin, related medicines from the same alpha-blocker family.

Finpecia and Avodart take a different route as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Finasteride in Finpecia and Dutasteride in Avodart both work on prostate growth over months rather than relieving symptoms quickly. Jalyn combines dutasteride with tamsulosin in one capsule, pairing both mechanisms for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in a single product.

Xtandi stands apart from the rest of the range. It contains enzalutamide and is used for prostate cancer, a different condition from the benign prostate enlargement that the other medicines here address.

Further reading

• Enlarged Prostate (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
• Lower urinary tract symptoms in men: management