Alfuzosin and Its Effect on Ejaculatory Dysfunction: A Systematic Review

Studies have demonstrated that alfuzosin not only improves lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) but also appears to preserve ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of alfuzosin on ejaculatory function using the ‘Male Sexual Health Questionnaire (MSHQ)-EjD Short Form’ – a validated, abridged-version of the 25-item MSHQ specifically assessing EjD. A systematic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and grey literature was performed in January 2017 to identify relevant cohort studies. Search terms were ‘alfuzosin’, ‘benign prostatic hyperplasia’, ‘ejaculatory dysfunction’ and their synonyms without exclusions. Six cohort studies conducted between 2008 to 2015 were selected for analysis. Three of these were conducted in Korea, one in Thailand, one in China, and one in Tunisia. Overall, 1,371 patients were enrolled in these studies with a median age of 62.3 years. All studies quantified patient LUTS and ejaculatory function using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and MSHQ-EjD Short Form, respectively. IPSS had a median decrease of 6.6 while MSHQ-EjD had a median increase of 1.9. This review highlights the very real association between sexual function and LUTS. This systematic review confirms that alfuzosin may improve ejaculatory function in addition to LUTS and should be considered in men who are sexually active or who already complain of deteriorating ejaculation.