title: Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Beta-sitosterol Study Group.
abstract: Medical treatments have become available for benign hypertrophy of the prostate, including alpha-receptor blocking agents and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. Drugs derived from plants, for which no precise mechanism of action has been described, are widely used for this purpose in Europe. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study, 200 patients (recruited between April and October 1993) with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia were treated with either 20 mg beta-sitosterol (which contains a mixture of phytosterols) three times per day or placebo. Primary end-point was a difference of modified Boyarsky score between treatment groups after 6 months; secondary end-points were changes in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), urine flow, and prostate volume. Modified Boyarsky score decreased significantly with a mean of -6.7 (SD 4.0) points in the beta-sitosterol-treated group versus -2.1 (3.2) points in the placebo group p < 0.01. There was a decrease in IPSS (-7.4 [3.8] points in the beta-sitosterol-treated group vs -2.1 [3.8] points in the placebo group) and changes in urine flow parameters: beta-sitosterol treatment resulted in increasing peak flow (15.2 [5.7] mL/s from 9.9 [2.5] mL/s), and decrease of mean residual urinary volume (30.4 [39.9] mL from 65.8 [20.8] mL). These parameters did not change in the placebo group (p < 0.01). No relevant reduction of prostatic volume was observed in either group. Significant improvement in symptoms and urinary flow parameters show the effectiveness of beta-sitosterol in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Berges
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Windeler
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Trampisch
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Senge
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016055:Urinary Retention / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D012855:Sitosterols; C025473:gamma-sitosterol