“Why do you only write about women’s health issues?” That
question was posed in an e-mail I received from an HSI member
named Arthur.
Although I always thought the great majority of e-Alerts contained
health information useful to both men and women, I now
understand Arthur’s point. It seems that when I come across news
about health issues that are gender-specific, they very often tend to
address the concerns of women.
Why that’s the case I can’t say. But today’s e-Alert is proof that I
don’t ignore the guys, because this one contains some very useful
information for any man who has reached his mid-40s, and for any
woman who has a husband, father, brother, etc., who may have
noticed that it’s become more difficult to make it through the night
without a bathroom break.
Block that hormone!
I have a friend named Tim who calls the herb saw palmetto his
“saw pal.” He admits that this is a little corny, but he says that
most any man over 50 who has tried using saw palmetto will
understand exactly what he means. Tim used to get up two or three
times each night to go to the bathroom, but since he started taking
his “saw pal” everyday, he rarely has to get up at all.
Even without checking with his doctor (which he certainly should
do), we can guess that Tim is probably experiencing a condition
known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); a typical form of
prostate gland enlargement that affects middle-aged and older men.
BPH symptoms include weak urinary flow, frequent urination,
painful urination, and urinary retention (difficulty in completely
emptying the bladder). Besides being very annoying, these
symptoms can raise the risk of kidney stones, as well as infections
of the bladder and kidney.
No wonder, then, why Tim thinks of saw palmetto as a pal.
Scientists believe that a fat-soluble agent in saw palmetto extract
prevents testosterone from converting to a hormone that’s
responsible for enlarging the prostate. However it works, it does
seem to work. And there’s quite a bit of research and anecdotal
evidence to back up that claim.
Posting good numbers
In a study published in a recent issue of the British Journal of
Urology International, researchers from the University of Chicago
reviewed the results of nearly 20 trials that tested Permixon, a
commercial extract of saw palmetto. The results were
overwhelmingly positive, with these general outcomes:
* Improved urine flow
* Reduction of urinary urgency and pain
* Improved emptying of the bladder
* Reduction in size of prostate gland after two years
* Significant improvement in quality of life
In one trial that compared saw palmetto extract to two medications
often prescribed to address BPH, saw palmetto produced positive
results similar to the drugs, but without the sexual dysfunction that
accompanied the drug use. Saw palmetto was also found to be
effective in both short-term and long-term use, at dosages of 320
mg per day.
Permixon is manufactured in Europe and not yet available in the
U.S., but other high-quality saw palmetto extract products are
available here.
Close to home
HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., is a long-time advocate of saw
palmetto. When I asked him to give us his take on the herb, he
began by sharing some personal experience: “I take saw palmetto
(Serenoa repens) daily, and will for the rest of my life. I started
getting up at night 2-3 times in my early 40s, and when it got to 3-
4 times each night, I became scared (my dad had benign prostatic
hyperplasia requiring a surgical procedure I VERY much wish to
avoid).”
As for general advice on saw palmetto supplementation, Dr.
Spreen offers these five guidelines:
counts, as you have no idea what you’re getting.
2. The minimum dose for effect is 320 milligrams daily, and it
takes from 2-3 months to be really effective for most. So, if
urination trouble is acute enough that no urine can be passed, it
becomes too late for the easy solution.
3. The extract should be mixed with a second herb (in my opinion)
called Pygeum africanum; they tend to augment each other. There
are other agents that can also be included as “icing on the cake.”
4. I don’t know of any toxicity problem, but the agent is not to be
considered the solution for prostate cancer (though I’d take
anyway, and I’ve read it may help).
5. A key point is that prostate enlargement is due to deficiencies of
zinc, essential fatty acids, and probably 2 or 3 amino acids. Saw
palmetto does not supply those, though it does shrink the gland, so
a word to the wise would be to decrease the sugar and refined flour
intake (they use up zinc), and supplement with those nutrients.
Any man who’s experiencing the symptoms of BPH should talk
with their doctor or health care professional before starting a daily
saw palmetto regimen. For those who do, many of them – like Tim
and Dr. Spreen – just may find a new life-long pal.
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and another thing
Last week I sent you a special alert concerning the sudden
announcement that the best selling arthritis drug Vioxx was being
pulled from the market.
As you might suspect, there’s more going on here than meets the
eye.
In 2003, Merck – the maker of Vioxx – began a long-term trial to
determine if Vioxx could prevent the development of colon polyps.
After 18 months, researchers determined that for subjects using
Vioxx, the risk of heart attack or stroke was double that of subjects
taking placebo.
What’s disturbing here is that this risk has been known for several
years. In fact, we first warned you about it through the e-Alert in
2002. And obviously we weren’t the only ones that knew.
According to an FDA spokesperson interviewed on National
Public Radio (NPR),the agency thought the risk to individual
consumers was “small.”
But as one Vioxx critic told NPR, the heart dangers were simply
drowned out by Merck’s aggressive and “misleading” marketing
campaign. And to put the advertising into perspective, consider
this: Merck spent more money advertising Vioxx than was spent
promoting Pepsi worldwide.
So let’s review the main points here: These heart risks have been
known by both Merck AND the FDA for years, but now – based
on this one study – Merck execs decide to pull a drug that makes
about $2.5 billion per year. They could have appealed to the FDA
to create stricter warnings on packaging, but instead they simply
said, “No mas!”
Hmmm. Something’s fishy here. Drug companies don’t give up on
a beloved cash cow drug without an attempt to prolong its
commercial life. I predict there’s much more to this story that
hasn’t come to light yet. I’ll keep an eye out for further reports and
we’ll see if we ever get to the bottom of this one.
Meanwhile, last week’s announcement was yet another wake up
call for those trusting souls who still believe that the FDA stands
over us like a protective parent, diligently fending off all threats to
our safety. More than five full years after the FDA approval of
Vioxx, we find out the drug is too unsafe to keep on the market.
But don’t worry, they’ve promised to keep a closer eye on
Celebrex.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
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Sources:
“The Role of a Lipido-Sterolic Extract of Serenoa Repens in the
Management of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Associated with
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia” British Journal of Urology
International, Vol. 94, No. 3, August 2004, bjui.org
“Relieve Common Men’s Condition with Saw Palmetto Extract”
Maureen Williams, ND, Healthnotes Newswire, 9/16/04,
pccnaturalmarkets.com
“Merck Pulls Arthritis Drug Vioxx from Market” National Public
Radio, 9/30/04, npr.org
“Arthritis Patients Scramble for Alternatives Amid Vioxx Recall”
WBAL TV, 9/30/04, thewbalchannel.com
