Abstract
OBJECTIVES: A randomised controlled trial was performed to compare the symptomatic effects on patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated by two therapeutic approaches - the Western medicine (WM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). METHODS: Four primary outcome measures, namely the quality of life (QOL), maximum urine flow ratio (UFR), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and prostate volumes, as well as four urethra-related and 35 non-urethra-related symptoms, were investigated to evaluate the effects on 31 BPH patients subjected to WM (Terazosin Hydrochloride Hytrin, THH) and 30 cases to TCM (herbal Saxifrage tablet, HST). The effects of both treatments are compared by the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The contributions of symptoms for four assessments are analysed by the logistic regression model and the Chow test. RESULTS: The effect of TCM is weaker than that of WM in the assessment of the IPSS score (p<0.05), and both treatments are similar in the prostate volumes, the maximum UFR and the QOL assessments (p>0.05), as well as in the effective number of urethra-related or non-urethra-related symptoms before and after treatment (p>0.05). By comparing the linear regression models, different urethra-related and non-urethra-related symptom patterns associated with TCM and WM therapies are detected for four assessments, especially for the prostate volume assessment (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: TCM (HST) is a potentially effective treatment in improving the QOL, prostate volumes and maximum UFR for patients with BPH, though it is less effective in ameliorating the IPSS score when compared with WM (THH). The non-urethra-related symptoms experienced by BPH patients might be one of the parameters to further achieve the tailored diagnosis and treatment for BPH.