Evidence Hub

Adherence to Medical Therapy in Benign Enlargement of Prostate (BEP) Patients at Teaching Hospital

Kushal Karki, Basanta Baral, Devendra Karki, Mahipendra Tiwari

Grande Medical Journal, 2026

Abstract

Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign enlargement of the prostate (BEP) are among the most common urological problems affecting aging men. Medical therapy, often involving single or multiple drug regimens, is the mainstay of initial management. However, adherence to long-term pharmacotherapy remains a significant challenge. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Urology at KIST Medical College Teaching Hospital from December 25, 2025 to March 15, 2026. Patients diagnosed with BEP and receiving medical therapy were recruited. Data were analyzed using logistic regression, along with univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with adherence. Results: The mean age of patients was 57.5 ± 8.5 years, with the highest proportion in the 61–70 years age group (36.3%). Alpha-blockers were the most commonly prescribed medications (100%), followed by 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (45.23%). Other medications included anticholinergics, beta-3 agonists, and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The most common side effect observed was retrograde ejaculation (53.5%), followed by decreased libido (17.4%) and weakness with giddiness (16.4%). The main reasons for non-adherence were high cost of medication (11.52%), side effects (9.88%), and prolonged duration of therapy (6.82%). Approximately 20.3% % of patients crossed over to surgical management during the study period. Conclusion: Adherence to medical…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free