Everyone Healthy Library
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
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Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Condition overview
Attributes
Commonalityis common
Genderis M
Linked signs and symptoms
4Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
5Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
6Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
7These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological markers/agents
7This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
6- Acid PhosphataseReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y), Male: 8.7–12.5 units/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 2.2–10.4 units/LLinked diagnostic testsAcid Phosphatase Concentration
- Blood Urea NitrogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–18 mg/dL; Child (< 10y): 5–15 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Urea Nitrogen Tests
- Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Male: 0–3.8 ng/mLLinked diagnostic testsProstate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Blood Test
- Triple Phosphate Crystals (Urine)Reference range exampleAll: 0–1 Not PresentLinked diagnostic testsUrine Crystal Concentration
- Urine Haemoglobin (Hb)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–0.02 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsUrine Haemologlobin (Hb) Concentration
- Urine Red Blood CellsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–2 /hpfLinked diagnostic testsUrine Red Blood Cells Concentration
Often decreased
1Introduction / full article
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Thuja (Eastern White Cedar, Thuja Occidentalis) [1, 16, 17, 18]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Little is known about the full effects of Thuja, so it is not recommended for medicinal use. Thuja can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts.
Recommendation: no recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Thuja helps to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Saw Palmetto Extract [1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Palmetto extract may cause side effects, though these are uncommon. They may include headache, vomiting, dizziness, constipation, diarrhoea, insomnia or fatigue. Long term effects have not yet been researched.
Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Clinical trials have shown that Saw Palmetto may help to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy. Although a review concluded that most studies suggest improvement in symptoms, there have been studies with decidedly mixed or negative results. Further research is needed.)
Grade of Evidence: moderate level of evidence
Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: no recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Red Clover helps to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy. Early tests done had unreliable results. More tests are needed.)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Naturopathic Medicine:
Recommendation: no recommendation (there is insufficient evidence to support claims that Naturopathic Medicine helps to treat benign Prostatic Hypertrophy)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/redclover/
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19609225
4. http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/natural-fertility-boosters.html
5. http://indigo-herbs.co.uk/acatalog/Red_Clover_Flowers_Info.html
6. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/trifolium_pratense.html
7. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/red-clover
8. http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69350.cfm
9. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/saw-palmetto
10. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/palmetto/
11. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-sawpalmetto.html
12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12137626
13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16467543
14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18423748
15. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/saw-palmetto/NS_patient-sawpalmetto
16. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002769.htm
17. http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_thoc2.pdf
18. http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v%3Aproject=medlineplus&query=thuja&x=0&y=0