Prostatitis
Prostatitis is inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland. When symptoms start gradually and linger for more than a couple of weeks, the condition is called chronic prostatitis
The prevalence of prostatitis symptoms could be compared in five studies surveying 10 617 men.
Overall, participants met various criteria for prostatitis with prevalence ranging from 2.2 to 9.7%.
Men reporting a history of prostatitis symptoms had a substantially increased rate of benign prostatic hyperplasia, lower urinary tract symptoms and prostate cancer.
Two studies suggest that about one-third of men reporting prostatitis symptoms had resolution after 1 year.
Patients with previous episodes and more severe symptoms are at higher risk for chronic pelvic pain.
In this condition, a bacterial infection causes swelling and inflammation of the prostate. Doctors can definitively make this diagnosis if bacteria and white blood cells are found in the urine. White blood cells are present when there is inflammation that may or may not be related to an actual infection. True chronic bacterial infection accounts for a small percentage of cases of chronic prostatitis. Sometimes doctors suspect a lingering bacterial infection even though no bacteria are identified.
Doctors make this diagnosis when patients have typical symptoms of chronic prostatitis, but no bacteria are found in a urine sample. The cause of most cases of non-bacterial prostatitis is not well understood. The urine often contains white blood cells. Some patients may have a persistent low-grade infection that cannot be detected in a routine urine sample. However, most patients with non-bacterial prostatitis have no evidence of infection, even when sophisticated tests are done.
This term is used when symptoms of prostatitis are present, but there is no evidence of prostate infection or inflammation. Doctors understand very little about why some people — often young, otherwise healthy men — develop this problem. Theories to explain prostadynia include an abnormal buildup of pressure in the urinary tract, irritation resulting from an autoimmune or chemical process, or pain generated in the nerves and muscles within the pelvis.
Flower Pollen extract Graminex
Pre-clinical studies demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative role of pollen extract. 6 clinical, non-controlled studies including 206 patients, and 4 RCTs including 384 patients were conducted. The mean response rate in non-controlled studies was 83.6% (62.2%-96.0%). The meta-analysis revealed that flower pollen extract could significantly improve patients’ quality of life [OR 0.52 (0.34-.0.81); p = 0.02]. No significant adverse events were reported.
Bibliography: BMC Urol. 2017; 17: 32. Published online 2017 Apr 21. doi: 10.1186/s12894-017-0223-5
Serenoa repens
In total, 226 patients were enrolled and randomized between January 2017 and June 2018. Of these 221 patients were included in the intent-to-treat analysis: 148 in the Serenoa Repens group and 73 patients in the placebo group. Compared to the placebo, Serenoa Repens led to statistically significant improvements in the NIH-CPSI total score and sub-scores. The significant improvements of NIH-CPSI scores were established after 2 weeks from the first dose, and continued to the end of the treatment. Furthermore, a significantly higher rate of patients achieved a clinical response in the Serenoa Repens group compared with that in the placebo group (73.0% vs 32.9%, P < 0.0001). In conclusion Serenoa Repens was effective, safe, and clinically superior to placebo for the treatment of CP/CPPS.
Bibliography: World J Urol 2021 Sep;39(9):3489-3495. doi: 10.1007/s00345-020-03577-2. Epub 2021 Jan 16.
Zn
101 subjects completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences in scores and sub-scores of NIH-CPSI between groups before intervention. Decline in the score and sub-scores were more prominent in case group after beginning of the study; though the differences were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the differences in total score and pain score at 12 weeks follow was statistically significant (p=0.003 and p=0.02, respectively). In conclusion, zinc supplements may benefit in management of patients with chronic prostatitis NIH-IIIA. It can be attributable to anti-bacterial and immuno-modulatory functions of organic zinc in the body.
Bibliography: Acta Med Indones 2013 Oct;45(4):259-64.
** All data above are published as clinical trials and do not refer to EFSA claims. This means that they do not intend to be medical or therapeutical advice.
