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Objective To construct and validate a short-form benign sexual-life status, and BPH interference with activities. The QOL9 was practical in use (completion rate prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) health-related quality-oflife (HRQL) questionnaire which is more practical in 87-100%; duration of completion at inclusion 11.6, sd 2.0 min), consistent (Cronbach's alpha>0.7), use and as informative as the 20-item visual analogue scale questionnaire (QOL20) previously validated in reliable (intraclass correlation coeÃcient >0.80) and responsive (eÂect-size index 0.9, sd 0.01 in the longiFrench. Patients and methods From the factorial structure of the tudinal study). Conclusions The QOL9 is a good BPH HRQL question-QOL20, a nine-item questionnaire (QOL9) was constructed using stepwise linear regression and factorial naire, including an assessment of patients' perceived sexual-life status; it easy to administer, accurate, reproanalysis. The feasibility and reliability of the QOL9 were analysed in a cross-sectional case-control study ducible and responsive to change with treatment. We suggest that the QOL9 be substituted for the QOL20 and a longitudinal cohort study, including symptomatic patients with BPH treated for 6 months with and administered in addition to the International Prostate Symptom Score to obtain a better assessment an a 1 -blocker (alfuzosin). Results The reduction of the QOL20 to QOL9 showed a of the patients' perception of their disease. Keywords Benign prostatic hyperplasia, quality of life, minimal loss of information (90-95% of the variance of QOL20 was explained by QOL9) and lead to a threepatients' perceived sexuality, a-blockers, alfuzosin dimensional structure: well being, patients' perceived questionnaire and the simplicity/acceptability of a short Introduction questionnaire. To obtain the most favourable explanatory/simplicity ratio, one generally accepted compromise BPH is a common disorder which is rarely lifethreatening but may aÂect the patient's perceived quality [4] is to start by constructing a lengthy questionnaire, to test it on a target population and then to condense it of life (QOL) [1]. The advent of new, eÂective treatments and increased public awareness of the disease have led by theoretical mathematical modelling, keeping the questions which give the most pertinent information at more younger men to seek advice earlier to obtain relief from their urinary symptoms. It is generally accepted baseline and during treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm that the short-form questionnaire has retained that symptom severity does not correlate with perceived 'bother' [2] or QOL [3] indices. To further evaluate these the psychometric qualities of the initial questionnaire, with no major loss of information. This 'simplification' therapeutic modalities and their clinical response, it is necessary to carry out long-term outcome studies involvapproach was applied to an original BPH HRQL questionnaire consisting of 20 self-administered items in the form ing large cohorts of patients assess...

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Objectives: To investigate (a) the magnitude and durability of symptom score reduction and HRQL score improvement (including sexual drive); (b) adverse outcomes; and (c) progression to acute urinary retention and prostate surgery up to three years of treatment with alfuzosin.Methods: Three thousand two hundred and twenty-eight BPH-patients out of 812 centers were included in a prospective three-year open-labelled study and treated with alfuzosin (immediate release formulation) at the recommended dosage. A symptom score (Boyarsky modi®ed) and a 20-item BPH speci®c HRQL score including three questions of sexuality (Urolife TM BPH QoL 20) were selfadministered at baseline, 3,6,12,18,24,30, and 36 months.Results: Two thousand ®ve hundred and seventy-nine patients (79.9%) completed the study at the end of three years. Symptom score was signi®cantly reduced by 54% at 3 months and this reduction was maintained up to 36 months (748.4%); HRQL score was signi®cantly improved by 45.4% at 12 months and this improvement was maintained up to 36 months ( 43.4%). Alfuzosin was well tolerated: the quantitative and qualitative distribution of adverse events was similar to that previously observed in placebo-controlled studies (vertigo/dizziness: 2.1%). Adverse events accounted for 4.2% of the drop-outs. 120 patients (3.7%) were operated on for BPH and nine patients (0.3%) experienced acute urinary retention.Conclusion: This medical outcomes study con®rms the long-term safety pro®le of alfuzosin in the naturalistic conditions of general practice and highlights the need to measure HRQL in the context of patient's preferences.