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Related Experiment Videos

Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia.

T Wilt1, A Ishani, R Mac Donald

  • 1General Internal Medicine (111-0), Minneapolis VA/VISN 13 Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, USA. Tim.Wilt@med.va.gov

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Serenoa repens, an extract from the American saw palmetto plant, offers mild to moderate improvements in urinary symptoms and flow for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It shows comparable effectiveness to finasteride with fewer adverse events.

Area of Science:

  • Urology
  • Pharmacognosy
  • Evidence-based medicine

Background:

  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) causes lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
  • Phytotherapy, using plant extracts like Serenoa repens (American saw palmetto), is increasingly used for BPH symptom management.
  • Serenoa repens is a common phytotherapeutic agent for BPH.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the efficacy of Serenoa repens for treating LUTS associated with BPH.
  • To compare Serenoa repens with placebo and other BPH medications.
  • To assess the safety and side effect profile of Serenoa repens.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
  • Searched multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Phytodok) and contacted researchers.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Included trials comparing Serenoa repens (alone or combined) with placebo or other BPH drugs, assessing urologic symptom scales, symptoms, or urodynamic measurements.

    • Main Results:

    • Serenoa repens improved urinary symptom scores, nocturia, and peak urine flow compared to placebo.
    • Improvements were comparable to finasteride regarding symptom scores and urine flow.
    • Adverse effects of Serenoa repens were mild and infrequent, with lower withdrawal rates than finasteride.

    Conclusions:

    • Serenoa repens provides mild to moderate relief for BPH-related urinary symptoms and improves flow.
    • It demonstrates comparable efficacy to finasteride with a better safety profile.
    • Long-term effectiveness, safety, and complication prevention by Serenoa repens remain unknown.