The lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: a comparison of two dosage regimens.

This 6-month double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study compared two dose regimens of Libeprosta, the lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens in 100 male outpatients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The patients received two 80-mg tablets twice daily or two 80-mg tablets three times daily. Baseline evaluations included maximum and mean urinary flow rates, postvoid residual urine volume, and International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) total and quality-of-life scores. Both regimens significantly reduced the I-PSS mean total score from baseline values (P<.001); improvements achieved statistical significance after month 3 and were maintained for the duration of the study. Significant improvements from baseline also occurred in quality-of-life scores, maximum and mean urinary flow rates, and residual urine volume (P<.05). The decrease in residual urine with both regimens was highly significant (P<.001). No significant differences in efficacy were noted between the two dose groups, and no treatment-related complications or clinical adverse events occurred. In this clinical study, the lipidosterolic extract of Serenoa repens was a well-tolerated agent that may significantly improve lower urinary tract symptoms and flow measurements in men with BPH.

Bladder cancer mortality in the Epirus district population (Greece).

OBJECTIVE: To describe the pattern of bladder cancer mortality in the Epirus district population (North-Western Greece) and to establish some relationships with cigarette smoking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Mortality rates of bladder cancer in the Epirus district population were analysed according to the official data from the Department of Statistics of the University Hospital of Ioannina during the last decade (January 1990-January 2000). Age standardization of death rates was done by the direct method, using the world population as a standard. Fisher's test was used as a significance test for linear regression coefficient in time trend analysis of mortality. RESULTS: The average annual standardized mortality rates from bladder cancer during the study period were 5.23 per 100,000 population (96% Confidence Interval--Cl 4.02-5.63) in males and 1.63 per 100,000 population (96% Confidence Interval--CI 1.18-1.96) in females. Significantly increasing trends of the rates were observed in males (y = 2.421 + 0.231x; p < 0.01), but not in females (y = 1.263 + 0.027x: p > 0.05). The greatest increase in age - specific rates in males was observed in the age group of 70 and more years (y = 25.602 + 3.673x; p < 0.01). In females, all age--specific rates except for the group 60-69 years showed significantly increasing tendency. The increasing tendency of bladder cancer mortality is followed by the rise of per capita cigarette consumption among the Epirus district population. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed for the explanation of the irregularities in the age-specific rates.