Experts discuss reproductive health protection at the jubilee Men's Health XX congress

The jubilee Men’s Health XX congress was held on April 25-27 in Sochi. Top experts met there to discuss the most pressing issues relating to urology and andrology, the latest methods employed to treat urological diseases, share experience and get to know practical aspects of their colleagues’ work.

The experts focused on the male reproductive system and infertility. The speakers explained why men have a shorter life expectancy than women, whether chronic inflammation of the prostate can be cured and also presented new treatment options for infectious and non-infectious diseases of the genitourinary system, benign prostatic hyperplasia and sexual disorders.

Safar Gamidov, Dr. habil. med., Professor, Head of the Department of Andrology and Urology, National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology Named after Academician V.I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, reported on obstructive azoospermia and methods of reconstructive surgery for this pathology.

Azoospermia — or the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate — essentially makes natural conception impossible. This disease affects up to 10% of men with infertility and 1% of the general male population. Azoospermia is the result of both congenital and external factors: trauma, surgical interventions, consequences of infections or exposure to unfavorable environmental conditions. However, surgical reconstruction of the seminal tract may help these patients regardless of the cause.

According to the expert, Longidaza^® can be prescribed before and after surgical reconstruction of the seminal tract as part of a complex therapy. Its enzymatic activity and anti-inflammatory effect allow healthcare professionals to prescribe the drug from the first day of postoperative therapy^[1].

Innovative methods of treating patients with chronic prostatitis were presented by Evgeny Shpilenya, Professor of the Department of Urology, North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov.

Prostatitis can cause urinary problems, sexual dysfunction and is often associated with severe pain. Antibacterial therapy alone does not always work as desired. This is often caused by biofilms, which can contribute to the development of bacterial infections, reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics and even make diagnosis difficult.

Patients treated with Longidaza had a 25% higher rate of resolution or significant reduction of symptoms of chronic prostatitis than patients receiving just background therapy. Longidaza^® destroys biofilms and enhances the effect of antibiotics^[2], lowering the recurring chronic prostatitis incidence by 2.8 times compared to the conventional therapy group. The drug has excellent compliance and high safety profile^[3].

Leonid Spivak, Dr. habil. med., Professor at the Institute of Urology and Human Reproductive Health, I.M. Sechenov First MSMU, presented the findings of the study exploring Longidaza^® properties in chronic prostatitis.

Fertility disorders are often associated with an inflamed prostate gland. According to the WHO, one in five to seven couples of reproductive age suffers from infertility, with the male partner’s poor sperm quality being the reason in half of these cases.

The study concerned the effect Longidaza had on the ability to destroy biofilms in the ejaculate of patients with chronic prostatitis and associated fertility disorders. 98 patients, aged 19.5 to 52.7, were enrolled into the study. Treatment with Longidaza^® resulted in a lower number of bacterial colonies, neutrophils and leukocytes, a 2.5-fold increase in the concentration of progressively motile spermatozoa and fewer relapses.

The Congress also addressed women’s health issues. Dr. Spivak reported on the treatment of cystitis. Cystitis, both acute and chronic, is a common problem affecting 26-36 million women in Russia. The main causes are anatomical peculiarities, poor hygiene and hypothermia, physiological changes and sexual contacts.

Dr. Spivak revealed therapeutic options that are currently available when treating cystitis. In this case, the complex drug Uronext^® helps to protect the urinary tract and reduce the risk of recurrence. It contains a combination of D-mannose, cranberry extract and vitamin D contributing to fewer cystitis exacerbations. Clinical studies show that the risk of urinary tract infections is reduced by 26% when a standardized cranberry extract is used.

The Uronext group had fewer relapses at all stages of the evaluation, according to the expert. When Uronext is used for 6 weeks, it results in a 4-fold reduction in the number of relapses compared to the control group^[4].