Serenoa repens ( saw palmetto ) in treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Last reviewed 07/2021

• Serenoa repens, also called 'saw palmetto', (from the American dwarf plant) is a herbal therapy for management of lower urinary tract symptoms
• there is conflicting evidence concerning the use of Serenoa repens in treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia (1,2,3)
  • a systematic review stated that evidence suggested that treatment with Serenoa repens results in mild-to-moderate improvements in urinary symptoms and flow measures (2)
  • however a double-blind randomised controlled trial of men over the age of 49 years who had moderate-to-severe symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia to one year of treatment with saw palmetto extract (160 mg twice a day) or placebo did did not improve symptoms or objective measures of benign prostatic hyperplasia (3)

Notes:

• the long-term safety of this treatment has not been assessed

Reference:

1. Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (2003), 41 (3), 18-21.
2. Wilt T et al. Serenoa repens for benign prostatic hyperplasia (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, issue 1, 2003. Oxford: Update Software [Last substantive update 20 March 2002].
3. Bent S et al. Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia. NEJM 2006;354:557-66.