Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41495543›Full record

SynthesisWorld journal of urology2026

Doxazosin versus tamsulosin for the treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH): systematic literature review and network meta-analysis.

Matthias Oelke, Jean-Nicolas Cornu, Ishveen Chopra, Thomas R W Herrmann, Tarek Hassan

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-AnalysisComparative Study
In one paragraph

Synthesis in World journal of urology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Matthias OelkeInterdisciplinary Pelvic Floor Center, Kantonsspital Frauenfeld, Spital Thurgau AG, Frauenfeld and Münsterlingen, Pfaffenholzstr. 4, 8500, Frauenfeld, Switzerland. matthias.oelke@stgag.ch.
Jean-Nicolas CornuDepartment of Urology, Charles Nicolle University Hospital, Rouen Cedex, France.
Ishveen ChopraPharmerit International, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Thomas R W HerrmannHannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Tarek HassanViatris Inc., New York, NY, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDoxazosin and tamsulosin are the most frequently used α1-blockers for the treatment of male lower urinary tract symptoms. Clinical practice guidelines state that all α1-blockers have a similar clinical efficacy but differ in tolerability when used in appropriate doses. We compared the efficacy and tolerability of different doses/formulations of doxazosin (immediate release 2, 4 or 8mg; gastrointestinal therapeutic system [GITS] 4 or 8mg) versus tamsulosin (modified release 0.2, 0.4 or 0.8mg; oral controlled absorption system [OCAS] 0.4mg).

methodsPubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were systematically searched until December 2024 to identify RCTs with doxazosin and/or tamsulosin. Bayesian random-effects models estimated efficacy and tolerability outcomes, including all International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) variations, QoL, overall adverse events (AE) and discontinuation. Tests for heterogeneity, similarity, and consistency ensured robust estimates.

resultsIn total, 1,866 abstracts were identified, of which we included 40 publications with 12,201 participants. Doxazosin GITS 4mg had the largest mean (95% credible interval) improvement from baseline in total IPSS (-10.07 [-11.96, -8.25]), IPSS-QoL (-1.82 [-2.07, -1.60]) and IPSS storage-subscore (-4.26 [-4.29, -3.40]), and was statistically superior compared to most tamsulosin doses. No significant differences between different doses or formulations for the two drugs were seen for the IPSS voiding-subscore, maximum urine flow or post-void residuals. Only doxazosin GITS 4mg had significantly lower odds of discontinuation due to AE compared to tamsulosin OCAS 0.4mg.

conclusionsThis network meta-analysis found a statistically significantly greater clinical efficacy (IPSS-T, IPSS-S, QoL improvement) for doxazosin GITS 4mg versus most tamsulosin formulations and a similar overall tolerability profile.

Indexed as

Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor AntagonistsDoxazosinLower Urinary Tract SymptomsProstatic HyperplasiaTamsulosinHumansMaleAdrenergic alpha-1 Receptor AntagonistsDoxazosinTamsulosinAdrenergic alpha blockersBenign prostatic hyperplasiaDoxazosinLower urinary tract symptomsNetwork meta-analysisTamsulosin

Identifiers

PMID41495543
PMCPMC12775116

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.