Background Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is very common in aging men. We aimed to compare the effects of tamsulosin and pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed oil on BPH symptoms. Methods This single-blind randomized clinical trial included patients with BPH aged ≥ 50 years referred to the Urology Clinic of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Hamadan, Iran, from August 23, 2019 to February 19, 2020. Patients were randomized into two groups. One group received 0.4 mg tamsulosin every night at bedtime and the other received 360 mg pumpkin seed oil twice a day. Patients’ age, weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) was filled out by the patients at baseline and then 1 month and 3 months after the initiation of treatment. The BPH-associated quality of life (QoL), serum prostate-specific antigen, prostate and postvoid residual volume, and maximum urine flow were also assessed at baseline and 3 months later. Drug side effects were also noted. Results Of the 73 patients included in this study with a mean age of 63.59 ± 7.04 years, 34 were in the tamsulosin group and 39 in the pupkin seed oil group. Patients were comparable with respect to age, weight, height, BMI, and baseline principal variables in both groups. Also, there was no significant difference between groups in terms of principal variables at any time point. However, there was a significant decrease in IPSS and a significant improvement in QoL in both groups. Although the decrease in IPSS from baseline to 1 month and 3 months was significantly higher in the tamsulosin group compared to the pumpkin group (P = 0.048 and P = 0.020, respectively), the decrease in IPSS from 1 to 3 months was similar (P = 0.728). None of the patients in the pumpkin group experienced drug side effects, while dizziness (5.9%), headache (2.9%), retrograde ejaculation (2.9%), and erythema with pruritus occurred in the tamsulosin group. Conclusions Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed oil relieved BPH symptoms with no side effects, but was not as effective as tamsulosin. Further studies are required to confirm the role of pumpkin seed oil as an option for the treatment of BPH symptoms. Trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials, IRCT20120215009014N340. Registered 19.02.2020. Retrospectively registered, https://en.irct.ir/trial/45335.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In this study, we assess the effects of wet cupping therapy, an ancient therapeutic method, on some inflammatory cytokines believed to impact the inflammatory state of the liver of patients affected by NAFLD. A total of sixteen NAFLD grade II and III patients, diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, participated in this quasi-experimental study with self-control. The subjects received wet cupping therapy three times over six weeks. We assessed anthropometric and biochemical parameters pre- and post-interventions. Results showed that wet cupping therapy reduced CRP by an average of 50% in 67% of NAFLD patients. The first two wet cupping treatments reduced interleukin-1β, especially the second one for an average of 29% in 67% of patients. The efficacy of wet cupping to modify interleukin-6 was seen in the first wet cupping treatment with an average increase of 182% in 41% of patients. This treatment showed an average reduction of 16% of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in 59% of patients. Wet cupping therapy may be seen as a treatment to reduce the inflammatory state in patients affected by NAFLD when given at proper intervals.
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. The disease varies from asymptomatic or mild infection in the upper respiratory tract to severe respiratory syndromes and signs spread to the lower airways causing local inflammation and pneumonia. Currently no specific anti-virus drugs or certain vaccine without having any doubts on its short- or long-term adverse reactions in human body are approved to treat COVID-19. Patients affected by SARS in 2003 outbreak, with a 79.5% of shared sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2, benefited from traditional Chinese medicine. Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of herbal traditional chines medicines, acupuncture and moxibustion to manage COVID-19, but sparse studies have assessed the effects of cupping therapy in this pandemic. Cupping, specially its two main types wet and dry, seems to play a role in the activation of complement system, modulation of cellular parts of the immune system and in improvement of the majority of COVID-19 symptoms and signs. This study suggests that scientists and clinicians assess the therapeutic effects of cupping therapy as adjuvant treatment along with other therapeutic strategies in treatment of COVID-19.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. In this study, we assess the effects of wet cupping therapy, an ancient therapeutic method, on some inflammatory cytokines believed to impact the inflammatory state of the liver of patients affected by NAFLD. A total of sixteen NAFLD grade II and III patients, diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound, participated in this quasi-experimental study with self-control. The subjects received wet cupping therapy three times over six weeks. We assessed anthropometric and biochemical parameters pre- and post-interventions. Results showed that wet cupping therapy reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) by an average of 50% in 67% of NAFLD patients. The first two wet cupping treatments reduced interleukin-1β, especially the second one for an average of 29% in 67% of patients. The efficacy of wet cupping to modify interleukin-6 was seen in the first wet cupping treatment with an average increase of 182% in 41% of patients. This treatment showed an average reduction of 16% of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in 59% of patients. Wet cupping therapy may be seen as a treatment to reduce the inflammatory state in patients affected by NAFLD when given at proper intervals.
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