Chinese herbal medicine might improve lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
In the conducted single-arm pilot study, twenty patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were instructed to take the investigated Chinese herbal medicine three times a day for 8 weeks, coupled with their ongoing Western medicine treatment. Scheduled follow-ups were completed, with patients completing questionnaires such as the international prostate symptoms scores, aging male symptoms score, and international index of erectile function, along with a questionnaire of traditional Chinese medicine body constitution. Diagnostic tools like uroflowmetry and sonography were utilized to measure changes in urine flow velocity and post-voiding residual urine volume over the study span.
The results of the study showed a significant decrease in the total prostate symptoms scores post 8 weeks of Chinese herbal medicine treatment, indicating an improvement in the patients' condition. Additionally, this study found a decrease in specific subscores measuring voiding and incomplete emptying. Further to this, a declining trend was also observed in post-voiding residual urine volume, suggesting positive impacts of Chinese herbal medicine on the patients' urinary symptoms.
