The incidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is increasing, and
an estimated one quarter of men older than 60 years have both BPH and
hypertension. Medical management of BPH is now an effective alternati
ve to surgery, and primary care physicians are treating more patients
for this condition. Alpha-adrenergic blockers reduce the tone of prost
atic smooth muscle, and doxazosin, a selective alpha-1 adrenergic bloc
ker, is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of BPH. Doxazosi
n can be given in a convenient once-daily dose, and its efficacy is ma
intained in the long term. Patients with BPH who are already being tre
ated for hypertension with doxazosin need no alteration in their dosag
e regimen,, and doxazosin can be used as a single agent to treat both
conditions. Selective alpha-adrenergic blockers are likely to be used
increasingly by primary care physicians in the treatment of BPH.