March 22, 2002 – The saw palmetto or sabal (Serenoa repens) is talked about again in a study published in the journal Urology who evaluated its effects on men suffering from urinary retention (impossibility of urination), one of the main causes of which is benign prostatic hyperplasia.1
The researchers administered two saw palmetto tablets daily for six months to one group of men complaining of symptoms of urinary retention and a placebo to another group. Urinary symptoms, sexual function, quality of life and urine output were compared in the two groups after the first, second, fourth and sixth months of treatment. To estimate urinary symptoms, the questionnaire International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)2 has been used. A second questionnaire focused on sexual function and quality of life. Urinary flow was also measured.
At the end of the study, the men who followed the saw palmetto treatment experienced a decrease in urinary retention symptoms (by 4.4 points compared to 2.2 for the placebo group). The quality of life of the “under saw palmetto” group increased slightly, but the results did not seem significant enough to draw any conclusions. No changes were seen in sexual function and urine output.
The results related to urinary retention confirm those of previous studies and the researchers invited doctors to inform their patients of the possible benefits of saw palmetto although its mode of action remains unknown for the moment. They also recalled that the preparations on the market change from one brand to another, which implies that the dosage may vary.
Élisabeth Mercader – PasseportSanté.net
According to L’Actualité Médicale, March 13, 2002
1. Gerber GS, Kuznetsov D, Johnson BC, Burstein JD. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of saw palmetto in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. Urology 2001 Dec; 58 (6): 960-4; discussion 964-5.
2. FMC Claude Grunberg. IPSS Questionnaire. [Consulté le 22 mars 2002]. http://www.fmc-chelles.org/ipss.htm