Pathophysiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia: insights from medical therapy for the disease.

The medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has its roots in the early 1970s. During this era, the first clinical trials investigating alpha-blockade and androgen deprivation therapy were reported for men with clinical BPH. The observation that clinical BPH was improved following administration of both alpha-blockers and androgen deprivation therapy supported the evolving paradigm that clinical BPH resulted from dynamic and static pathways. During the past several decades, the evolution of alpha-blockers for the treatment of BPH has been impacted by innovations targeted to simplify the administration and improve tolerability while maintaining their effectiveness.