Dietary supplements for benign prostatic hyperplasia: an overview of systematic reviews.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common chronic condition in older men. The aim of this overview of systematic reviews (SRs) is to summarise the current evidence on the efficacy and adverse effects of dietary supplements for treating BPH with lower urinary tract symptoms. We searched 5 electronic databases and relevant overviews without limitations on language or publication status. Six SRs of 195 articles were included in this overview. Serenoa repens was reviewed in 3 studies and no specific effect on BPH symptoms and urinary flow measures was observed. However, ß-sitosterol, Pygeum africannum and Cernilton were reviewed in one study each, and significant improvement was observed for all three. All the included compounds have mild and infrequent adverse effects. SRs on ß-sitosterol, Pygeum africannum and Cernilton have not been updated since 2000, thus an update of reviews on these compounds will be necessary in the future.

Serenoa repens in benign prostatic hypertrophy: analysis of 2 Italian studies.

AIM: Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), which is characterized by a progressive swelling of the prostate causing symptoms of the lower urinary tract, is the second pathology as frequency among the diagnoses placed in men every year in Italy. The extract of Serenoa repens is an alternate therapeutic option to traditional drug therapies with a good profile of efficacy and safety for the management of the symptoms of BPH. The aim of this paper was to analyze systematically the results of two Italian studies carried out on patients with BPH treated with extract of serenoa repens (SABA. a product of Lampugnani Farmaceutici S.p.A.). METHODS: The studies were carried out on a total of 70 adult patients with diagnosis of benign prostatic hypertrophy. In one study the patients were treated with Serenoa repens 320 mg/day for 30 days; in the other study the patients received Serenoa repens 320 mg/day or Pygeum africanum (Tadenan) 4 capsules of 25 mg/day for 30 days. RESULTS: Both studies showed an improvement versus the baseline of about 50% of dysuria and pollakisuria, an about 50% increase in micturition rate with positive effects also in terms of reduction of the micturition rate and of prostate size. Also the tolerability profile was favorable. CONCLUSION: The extract of Serenoa repens (SABA Lampugnani Farmaceutici S.p.A.) administered at the dose of 320 mg/day to patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy, is effective in terms of improvement of the functional symptomatologic picture improvement and of the instrumental parameters with a good tolerability profile.