EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF TADALAFIL IN VERY ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH LOWER URINARY TRACT SYMPTOMS

: (Aim) The α-1 blockers have been used as first-line therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS). A new phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, tadalafil, was approved in 2014 and received a Grade A recommendation in the 2017 clinical practice guidelines for LUTS. In this study, we examined the effectiveness and safety of tadalafil in very elderly patients with LUTS. (Subjects and methods) The subjects were 84 very elderly patients, at least 75 years of age, with BPH/LUTS for which they had been administered tadalafil.Data of the 71 patients were retrospectively reviewed in terms of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) index, overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS), maximum flow rate and postvoid residual urine volume at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, 12, and 24. We also examined the safety of tadalafil therapy. (Results) Patient characteristics were: median age 80.1±4.38 years, prostate volume 41.2±24.3 cc and IPSS 15.7±5.68. Patients who had undergone treatment for BPH/LUTS prior to tadalafil therapy accounted for 67.9% of the study population.Significant improvements occurred in IPSS, QOL and OABSS at week 4, and the improvements were maintained until week 24. As for postvoid residual urine test results, a significant improvement was seen at week 8 only.Adverse events were noted in 9 patients (10.7%), but only 5 (6.0%) needed to discontinue tadalafil therapy. (Conclusion) Tadalafil is considered to be a highly effective and safe drug in very elderly patients with LUTS.