Enlarged Prostate
– Botox may help relieve Symptoms of BPH
May 23rd, 2006
|
 |
|
Botox Injection |
|
Botox also known
as botulinum toxin A may have a new treatment to help relieve the
symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also known as enlarged
prostate. Botox which is known to be used in cosmetic procedures to
remove wrinkles also helps in treating other conditions. This new study
using the toxin for enlarged prostate may add to Botox’s list of
treatments.
Researchers from
the Chang Gung University Medical College, Taiwan and the University of
Pittsburgh School of Medicine completed a study that injected Botox into
the men that have an enlarged prostate gland. They will present their
results at the American Urological Association (AUA) and will be
published in the AUA proceedings (abstract 1436).
Enlarged prostate
is a very common disease that affects men as they get older. There are
over 50 percent of men over the age of 60 that suffer from an enlarged
prostate. Men over the age of 80 are affected 80 percent of the time.
There are an estimated 40 to 50 percent of these men that will
eventually have symptoms. The symptoms include more frequent urination,
urinary tract infections, and being able to completely empty the
bladder. The most severe symptom can cause damage to the bladder and
kidneys.
"Millions of men
in the United States suffer from enlarged prostate," said Michael B.
Chancellor, M.D., professor of urology and gynecology at the University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "It's a challenging disease to live
with because it causes frequent and difficult urination. Unfortunately,
common treatments also are problematic because they carry some risk of
serious side effects, such as impotence. Our results are encouraging
because they indicate that Botox could represent a simple, safe and
effective treatment for enlarged prostate."
There were 41 men
that participated in this study that ranged in age from 49 to 79 years
old. They were symptomatic of BPH and did not benefit from standard
medical treatment. The men all received injections of Botox into their
prostate glands. The results were promising. There were 31 patients
out of the 41 that showed improvements. The researchers report
approximately a 30 percent improvement from urinary tract symptoms. The
improvements lasted up to one year after the injection for some of the
patients. Four out of five had the ability to empty their bladders
completely within one week and up to one month after the injection
occurred.
One reason that
the Botox treatment works so well is that it causes the prostate gland
to relax as it partially paralyzes tissue surrounding the injected
area. This eases up the pressure on the urethra.
Dr. Chancellor
also said that Botox reduces the size of the prostate gland through
apoptosis which is programmed cell death. This allows for the prostate
to reduce in size. By freeing up the pressure on the urethra it is
possible to improve urine flow and reduce the amount of urine remaining
in the bladder. The patients did not report any significant side
effects.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Enlarged Prostate
Keywords and misspellings: large prostrate frequnt
peeing urge to go bathroom enlargement of prostrate postrate postate
simptoms symptems treetment prognosis diagnoses bo-tox botullinum toxin
toxen |
