ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and safety of oral Tonglin Powder in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODSWe conducted a randomized controlled study on 100 BPH patients, aged 40－85 years, treated with Tonglin Powder (treatment group, n=50) or terazosin (control group, n=50), all for 3 months. Then we obtained the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), prostate volume, postvoid residual urine volume (PVR), urine routine indexes, and liver and kidney function indexes from the patients and compared them between the two groups before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe baseline data of the patients in the treatment and control groups were as follows, IPSS (22.24±7.33) vs (21.40±8.24), QoL 4 (2－6) vs 4 (2－6), prostate length 45 (30－65) vs 45 (39－65) mm, prostate width 35 (21－54) vs 36 (26－57) mm, and PVR 10 (5－100) vs 10 (10－100) ml, none with statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the patients of the treatment group, in comparison with those of the control, showed remarkable decreases in IPSS (11.60±6.49 vs 15.38±7.34, P=0.008) and QoL (2 ［0－5］ vs 3 ［1－6］, P=0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the treatment and control groups in prostate length (47 ［38－67］ vs 47.5 ［38－67］ mm), prostate width (36 ［26－57］ vs 36.5 ［31－57］ mm), and PVR (10 ［8－100］ vs 10 ［8－70］ ml) (P>0.05). The Nimodipine method of evaluation showed that the excellence rate of therapeutic effectiveness was significantly higher in the treatment than in the control group (40% vs 8%, P<0.001), and so was the total effectiveness rate (82% vs 64%, P=0.043).

CONCLUSIONSTonglin Powder can effectively improve the symptoms of BPH, such as difficult urination, and hence the patient's quality of life.