S. repens is safe in its application .
We suggest that strong placebo effect , potentially influenced by positive patients ' expectation on S. repens , shapes both the clinical practice outcomes and the findings of clinical trials .
Hitherto , the totality of evidence continues to suggest that S. repens is a prudent therapeutic option as part of the naturopathic treatment for LUTS/BPH .
OBJECTIVES Benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ) commonly affects men above 40 years old .
The progression of BPH is often accompanied with lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) that can significantly affect the quality of life of the patients .
Serenoa repens ( saw palmetto ) is a popular herbal remedy indicated for LUTS/BPH .
We review ed the current research on the efficacy of S. repens on LUTS/BPH as a monotherapy as well as combination therapies .
RESULTS The latest evidence , based largely on the Cochrane review , suggests that S. repens is not superior to placebo in treating LUTS/BPH as a monotherapy , even at double and triple doses .
Initial clinical trials on treatment of LUTS/BPH using S. repens with lycopene and selenium , as well as S. repens with Urtica Dioica , have shown positive results .
The effect of increasing doses of saw palmetto fruit extract on serum prostate specific antigen: analysis of the CAMUS randomized trial.
PURPOSE Saw palmetto extracts are used to treat lower urinary tract symptoms in men despite level I evidence that saw palmetto is ineffective in reducing these lower urinary tract symptoms . We determined whether higher doses of saw palmetto as studied in the CAMUS ( Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Urologic Symptoms ) trial affect serum prostate specific antigen levels . MATERIAL S AND METHODS The CAMUS trial was a r and omized , placebo controlled , double-blind , multicenter , North American trial conducted between June 5 , 2008 and October 10 , 2012 , in which 369 men older than 45 years with an AUA symptom score of 8 to 24 were r and omly assigned to placebo or dose escalation of saw palmetto , which consisted of 320 mg for the first 24 weeks , 640 mg for the next 24 weeks and 960 mg for the last 24 weeks of this 72-week trial . Serum prostate specific antigen levels were obtained at baseline and at weeks 24 , 48 and 72 , and were compared between treatment groups using the pooled t test and Fisher 's exact test . RESULTS Serum prostate specific antigen was similar at baseline for the placebo ( mean ± SD 1.93 ± 1.59 ng/ml ) and saw palmetto groups ( 2.20 ± 1.95 , p = 0.16 ) . Changes in prostate specific antigen during the study were similar , with a mean change in the placebo group of 0.16 ± 1.08 ng/ml and 0.23 ± 0.83 ng/ml in the saw palmetto group ( p = 0.50 ) . In addition , no differential effect on serum prostate specific antigen was observed between treatment arms when the groups were stratified by baseline prostate specific antigen . CONCLUSIONS Saw palmetto extract does not affect serum prostate specific antigen more than placebo , even at relatively high doses
S. repens is safe in its application .
We suggest that strong placebo effect , potentially influenced by positive patients ' expectation on S. repens , shapes both the clinical practice outcomes and the findings of clinical trials .
Hitherto , the totality of evidence continues to suggest that S. repens is a prudent therapeutic option as part of the naturopathic treatment for LUTS/BPH .
OBJECTIVES Benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH ) commonly affects men above 40 years old .
The progression of BPH is often accompanied with lower urinary tract symptoms ( LUTS ) that can significantly affect the quality of life of the patients .
Serenoa repens ( saw palmetto ) is a popular herbal remedy indicated for LUTS/BPH .
We review ed the current research on the efficacy of S. repens on LUTS/BPH as a monotherapy as well as combination therapies .
RESULTS The latest evidence , based largely on the Cochrane review , suggests that S. repens is not superior to placebo in treating LUTS/BPH as a monotherapy , even at double and triple doses .
Initial clinical trials on treatment of LUTS/BPH using S. repens with lycopene and selenium , as well as S. repens with Urtica Dioica , have shown positive results .