PSA and Saw Palmetto

From: Androlog Mail (androlog)
Date: Tue Feb 03 1998 - 17:20:45 CST


Androlog Mail:

> Does anyone know the answer to this question? (Posed to me by an internist)
> "Is there any known effect of Saw palmetto on serum PSA?"
> Eric Seaman MD
> EricSeaman@AOL.com

At last year's AUA meeting, Glenn Gerber from Chicago presented an
abstract (JU Vol. 157, No. 4, Supplement, #1291) on the use of Saw
Palmetto in men with BPH. Follow-up was fairly short and the study
population small, but they noted no significant change in serum PSA.
The mean values were 2.21 ng/ml initially (46 patients), 2.30 at 2
months (36 pts), 2.77 at 4 months (26 pts), and 2.50 at 6 months (10
pts).

Although it is presumed that Saw Palmetto works as a 5-alpha reductase
inhibitor, I have not seen any evidence in the literature that it
influences serum PSA.

Mark Fallick, M.D.
mfallick@bcm.tmc.edu



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