Table 1

Characteristics of the controlled and uncontrolled studies of monotherapy and combination therapy

Authors	Design	Type of AB	Daily dose	AB use	No. of patients	Age	IPSS at baseline	Measured outcomes		Follow-up
Authors	Design	Type of AB	Daily dose	(Before stopping)	(Stop phase)	(Mean)	(Mean)	Primary	Secondary	(months)
Controlled trials
Monotherapy
Fabricius et al 13	Double-blind RCT	TER	10 mg	24 weeks	27	68	–	Q-max, Q-avg, PVR,	AEs	3
Debruyne et al 12	Double-blind RCT	TER	5 mg/10 mg	26 weeks	167	63.6	19.1	IPSS, Q-max, QoL	AEs	6
Gerber et al 16	NRT	DOX	4 mg	3 months	37	65	C=20.9; DC=21.5	IPSS	Restart	12
Kaplan et al 15	Open-label RCT (quasi-randomised)	ALF	7.5 mg	3 months	53	60.5	15.6	IPSS, Q-max	AEs	3/6
Yanardag et al 14	Open-label RCT	TAM	0.4 mg	3 months	57	61.3	12.3	IPSS, Q-max, Q-avg, PVR	AEs	3/6
Combination therapy
Barkin et al 21	Double-blind RCT	TAM	0.4 mg	24 weeks	277	C=67.6; DC=66.9	C=16.4; DC=16.5	IPSS, QoL	AEs	3
Liaw and Kuo25	Open-label RCT (quasi-randomised)	TAM	0.2–0.4 mg	1 year	47	C=70.7; DC=72.1	15.6	IPSS, Q-max, QoL	Restart	3/6/12
Lee et al 24	Open-label RCT	TAM	0.2 mg	48 weeks	69	68	15.3	IPSS, Q-max, QoL	Restart, AEs	6
Lin et al 23	Open-label RCT	DOX	4 mg	2 years	230	75	C=13.1; DC=15.6	IPSS, Q-max, PVR	Restart	12
Matsukawa et al 22	Open-label RCT	SIL	8 mg	12 months	117	C=70.1; DC=69.1	C=17.4; DC=17.2	IPSS, Q-max, PVR, QoL	AEs	12
Uncontrolled studies
Monotherapy
Kobayashi et al 18	CS	TAM	0.2 mg	28.5±26.8 months	33	70.4	16.3		Restart	6
Yokoyama et al 20	CS	NAF/ TAM /URA	25–50 mg/0.2 mg/30 mg	2–200 months	60	70 (median)	15.9		Restart	12
Nickel et al 19	CS	ALF/DOX/ TAM /TER	No data	9 months	220	66.1 (total sample)	19.9		Restart	9
Chung et al 17	CS	ALF	10 mg	12 weeks	58	68.6 (total sample)	16.7 (total sample)		Restart	6
Combination therapy
Baldwin et al 26	CS	DOX	2–8 mg	3–12 months	240	66 (total sample)	Range: 20–33 (total study sample)		Restart	1
Both*
Kuo27	CS	DIB	20 mg	6 months	ABM=71; ABC=65	ABM=66.3; ABC=66.8	ABM=21.2; ABC=22.5		Restart	1

*Both monotherapy and combination therapy discontinuation.
AB, alpha-blocker; ABC, alpha-blocker combination treatment; ABM, alpha-blocker monotherapy; AEs, adverse events;ALF, alfuzosin; C, continuation group; CS, cohort study; DC, discontinuation group;DIB, dibenyline; DOX, doxazosin; NAF, naftopidil; NRT, non-randomised controlled trial; ns, not stated; PVR, post-void residual urine volume; Q-avg, average urine flow rate; Q-max, peak urine flow rate; SIL, silodosin; TAM, tamsulosin; TER, terazosin; URA, urapidil.