The use of pharmacotherapy for male patients with urgency and stress incontinence

Purpose of review To summarize recent data on the medical treatment of men with incontinence due to overactive bladder or to stress urinary incontinence published in peer-reviewed journals. Recent findings Previous randomized controlled trials have shown that both antimuscarinic drugs and α1-adrenoceptor blockers can be useful for treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms, including the overactive bladder syndrome, and that combination of the two principles may offer additional benefits over monotherapy with either agent. This has been further confirmed in several recent studies. There seems to be an associated increase in postvoid residual urine volume by the combinations, but not a significantly increased risk of retention. The efficacy of other combinations, for example, α1-adrenoceptor blocker and 5α-reductase inhibitor, has also been further documented. Recent evidence supports the use of mirabegron, alone or in combination with solifenacin, as a treatment alternative of male overactive bladder syndrome. Monotherapy with phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors seems to be as effective as α1-adrenoceptor blockers in male lower urinary tract symptoms. Only a few recent studies have been performed on the pharmacological treatment of male stress urinary incontinence, confirming that duloxetine had a modest positive effect in men with postprostatectomy incontinence. Summary For treatment of storage symptoms in men with lower urinary tract symptoms, combinations of antimuscarinics and α1-adrenoceptor blockers have produced the most promising results. Duloxetine exerts only modest relief of male stress urinary incontinence, but may be recommended in some patients.