Link between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms
In the December issue of European Urology Dr. Curtis Nickel and associates report on the evidence of a relationship between prostate inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men enrolled in the REDUCE trial.
The REDUCE (Reduction by DUtasteride of prostate Cancer Events) trial is a 4-year, phase-III placebo-controlled study that evaluates whether the drug dutasteride decreases the risk of biopsy-detectable prostate cancer. Dutasteride is a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, a drug that inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that may cause benign prostatic obstruction. The trial involves men with a negative prostate biopsy. The men were given either dutasteride or a placebo and followed for 4 years.
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