The effect of selective alpha-1 receptor antagonist on arterial stiffness parameters in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objective: Non-selective adrenergic alpha-1 antagonists have been shown to reduce arterial stiffness. Our aim is to assess the effects of a selective adrenergic alpha-1 antagonist on arterial stiffness, namely silodosin. Patients and Methods: This prospective study was carried out on 20 patients with recently diagnosed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) calculation, arterial stiffness test with an oscillometric device, and uroflowmetry were performed prior to the planned silodosin medical treatment. After initial assessment, patients were given 8 mg of silodosin daily. Initial tests and calculations were repeated after 1 month of follow-up. Comparisons between baseline and control data were performed using the paired sample t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively. Results: There was a significant reduction in the IPSS of patients after silodosin treatment (p < 0.001). There were statistically insignificant reductions in arterial stiffness and systolic blood pressure, and an increase in maximum flow rate (p = 0.314, p = 0.608, and p = 0.053, respectively). Conclusion: Silodosin is an effective drug to relieve BPH symptoms but does not have a statistically significant effect on neither blood pressure nor arterial stiffness.