The efficacy of prunus africana in the management of symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia at muhimbili national hospital, a pilot study

Abstract

A Pilot Study, placebo controlled, double blind randomized Clinical trial was conducted

among patients with symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) at Muhimbili

National Hospital from April 2006 to January 2007. The aim of the study was to

evaluate the efficacy, and safety of Prunus africana (also known as Pygeum

a,fricanum ) in the treatment of symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. The

main end points were improvement in the IPSS and the quality of life from the

baseline. Patient were divided into two groups in order to compare the drug to a

"placebo". Patients allocation to treatment and placebo were done by permuted blocks

randomization.

A total of 82 patients were emailed and followed for a perioc

patient was followed 4-weekly for a duration of 3 months. Four patients lost to follow

up and were excluded from the study and therefore analysis was done among 78

patients. Among patients who were lost to follow up 3 of them were in the placebo

group. The highest number of the patients 29(37.2 %), were in the mean age 65.5.

In the treatment group, there were 26(65.0%) patients who reported improvement in

IPSS from the baseline and 21(52.5%) patients reported improvement in quality of life. IPSS from the baseline and 22 (57.9%) patients reported improvement in quality of

life. Among all patients, the proportion of patients who reported improvement in IPSS

in the treatment group was 26(48. I%) as compared to 28 (51 .9%) in the "placebo"

group; The difference was not statistically significant (95% C.I, P=0.47). There were

also no significant difference in proportion of patients with improvement in quality of

life between the treatment group 21(48.8%) as compared to 22 (51.2 % in the

"placebo" group (95% C.I, P=0.66).

No any adverse drug reaction were reported in either group and there were no

deaths reported. There were no significant difference in conversion rate to

surgical intervention in the treatment group 9 (52.9% ) patients as compared to 8

(47.I% ) patients in the placebo group ( 95% C.I, P=I.00). The reasons for

conversion to surgery were due to patients' desire and 7 patients complicated to

acute urinary retention. Among the patients who complicated to urinary retention

4(l0.5%) of them were in the treatment group.

Generally the trend of the results in this initial pilot phase of this study showed