High Real-World Medication Adherence and Durable Clinical Benefit in Medicare Patients Treated with 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Three years ago, a study involving 3,107 Medicare patients treated with 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia was conducted from January 2009 to July 2018. The study found that high adherence to the medication led to long-term clinical benefits, while low adherence was associated with a higher likelihood of needing surgical intervention and poor patient outcomes. Factors influencing the probability of surgical intervention included higher BPH stage, presence of bladder stones, and the use of finasteride, with finasteride users being 41% more likely to require surgery compared to those using dutasteride. The study had limitations such as potential overestimation of medication adherence and selection bias, as the participants were Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or older.