The effect of nettle root extract on urinary problems in older men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: A randomized clinical trial

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is one of the most common benign tumor in men. Due to frequent side effects associated with medications used to treat prostatic hyperplasia, the use of herbal plants such as nettle has increased for the management of this ailment. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of nettle root extract on urinary problems, prostatic specific antigen level, and prostate volume in older men with benign prostatic hyperplasia. The present study was a randomized clinical trial. This study was conducted on 80 participants with benign prostatic hyperplasia referred to a urology clinic in Kashan, Iran. The participants were randomly assigned into experimental (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. The participants in the experimental and control groups received a tablet containing 300 mg of nettle root extract or a placebo (starch), respectively, twice a day for eight weeks. Before and after the intervention, the participants were assessed regarding their prostatic specific antigen level, prostate volume, and the American Urological Association Symptoms Scores associated with urinary problems. Data was analyzed using the Fisher’s exact test, the Chi-square test, the Paired t-test, and the independent samples t-test. After the intervention, there were significant differences between the groups in terms of urinary frequency (control: −0.17 ± 0.74 versus experimental: −0.5 ± 0.67; p = 0.04), urinary urgency (control: 0.12 ± 0.91 versus experimental: −0.32 ± 0.69; p = 0.01), and nocturia (control: 0.0 ± 0.65 versus experimental: −0.28 ± 0.64; p = 0.05). The group comparisons showed that there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of changes in the prostate-specific antigen level (p = 0.44), prostate volume (p = 0.22), feeling of incomplete emptying (p = 0.72), intermittency (p = 0.26), weak urine stream (p = 0.44), straining (p = 0.85), and quality of life (p = 0.91) associated with urinary problems. The use of nettle root extract in combination with conventional medical treatment of BPH was effective in decreasing the severity of urinary problems, including urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia in participants. However, the nettle extract was not effective in modifying prostate-specific antigen level, prostate volume, feeling of incomplete emptying, intermittency, urine stream, straining, and quality of life associated with urinary problems. Nettle extract is recommended for use as a complementary intervention along with traditional medical treatments of benign prostatic hyperplasia.