What is it about?
To determine the effects of therapy with Urtica dioica for symptomatic relief of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
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Why is it important?
There is a general perception that herbal products are, at worst, harmless placebos, but this is not always true. As early as the 15th century BC, the use of plant extracts for the symptomatic treatment of BPH was described on Egyptian papyrus. Unfortunately, many questions remain unanswered; therefore the scientific case for their use remains unproven. With the recent proliferation of nutrition and vitamin stores, use of these agents has greatly increased.
Perspectives
It remains unclear which type of patient with symptomatic BPH will benefit the most from this therapy. Although several studies suggest some clinical efficacies with many phytotherapeutic agents, further randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to evaluate their efficacy in preventing progressions, such as urinary retention and need for surgery.
Dr Mohammad Reza Safarinejad
University of Medical Sceices
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Urtica dioicafor Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, April 2006, The Haworth Press, DOI: 10.1300/j157v05n04_01.
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