Korean J Androl.  2011 Apr;29(1):76-84. 10.5534/kja.2011.29.1.76.

The Use of Phytotherapy in Male Patients with a Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Single Center Study

• Park HJ
• Kim HW
• Choe S
• Kim CH
• Park NC

• KMID: 2298629
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5534/kja.2011.29.1.76

Abstract

PURPOSE
Recently, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing among patients with low urinary tract symtoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). We assessed current usage and awareness of phytotherapy, the most ubiquitous CAM, in BPH/LUTS patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 204 patients with BPH who completed a questionnaire between January 2009 and December 2010 were enrolled. The questionnaire was composed of questions about age, education level, accompanying disease, type of phytotherapy, route of purchase, reason of taking medicine and whether the patient is using phytotherapy in combination with conventional medicine.
RESULTS
The mean age was 55.5+/-8.7 years. 56 of the total patients (27.5%) were using phytotherapy. The patients who were accompanied with erectile dysfunction used phytotherapy the most. The most commonly used phytotherapy for prescription and health functional food was Saw palmetto. The most common route of purchase was by clinician's prescription (46.4%). Most patients answered the dissatisfaction of present treatment's effect as the main reason for using phytotherapy. The number of patients who were taking combination therapy of BPH medication and phytotherapy was much more than using phytotherapy alone.
CONCLUSIONS
27.5% of patients who had BPH/LUTS were using phytotherapy. This is the point of time for many urologists to acquire the knowledge of studies and latest research of phytotherapy and use it in treating patients with BPH/LUTS.

Keyword

Alternative medicine; Complementary medicine; Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; Herbal medicine

MeSH Terms

Complementary Therapies
Erectile Dysfunction
Functional Food
Herbal Medicine
Humans
Hyperplasia
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Male
Phytotherapy
Prescriptions
Prostate
Prostatic Hyperplasia
Surveys and Questionnaires
Urinary Tract

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