Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and its associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) occur very commonly in older men. BPH and LUTS cause substantial physical and psychological impairment that could seriously affect the quality of late life and greatly cost the health-care systems. Current surgical and pharmacological therapies are expensive, may not effectively improve prostate function and health but cause adverse effects. There is an urgent need to find new and effective non-pharmacological preventions and treatments. Yi Jin Jing and Tai Chi are two common traditional Chinese mind-body exercises with different movements and techniques, but both emphasize regulating functional homeostasis and keeping whole body harmony. Yi Jin Jing and Tai Chi have not been studied much for potentially use in the treatment of BPH-related problems. The primary purpose of this protocol is to assess the effectiveness of Yi Jin Jing versus Tai Chi on the monographic and functional changes of prostate in older men.
A prospective single-center randomized controlled trial will be conducted. A total of 150 old men (60-70 years old) will be recruited from the urban tertiary of Shanghai, China. Of these, 50 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to a control group and two intervention groups with either Yi Jin Jing or Tai Chi exercise training. They will undergo 30 minutes for each exercise for five times a week for 6 months. The primary outcomes are changes of signs and symptoms in BPH and lower urinary tract from baseline to post-intervention. The main secondary outcomes are exercise-induced effects on the circulating levels of estrogen and androgen. All the outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, immediately after the 6-month intervention, and at the 3-month post-intervention follow-up.
This proposed study will be the first comparative randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Yi Jin Jing versus Tai Chi exercise on prostate health among older adults. The results will provide an evidence-based recommendation for Chinese older men on the use of Yi Jin Jing and Tai Chi training to promote prostatic function and health. Potential mechanisms for the regulatory effect of the two exercises elucidated by multiple outcomes are also explored. A clarification of the effects and mechanisms may provide information for the development of new strategies in the prevention and treatment of BPH-related conditions.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: ChiCTR-IOR-16007698 . This trial was registered on 4 January 2016.
Trials. 2016 Jul 16*** epublish ***
XiangYun Liu, Guoyuan Huang, Peijie Chen, Yong Li, JiuLin Xiang, Ting Chen, Ru Wang
Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education at the Shanghai University of Sport, 188 Hengren Road, Shanghai, 200438, China., Pott College of Science, Engineering & Education, University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, USA., Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education at the Shanghai University of Sport, 188 Hengren Road, Shanghai, 200438, China., FuDan University, 130 Dongan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China., Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education at the Shanghai University of Sport, 188 Hengren Road, Shanghai, 200438, China., Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education at the Shanghai University of Sport, 188 Hengren Road, Shanghai, 200438, China., Key Laboratory of Exercise and Health Sciences of Ministry of Education at the Shanghai University of Sport, 188 Hengren Road, Shanghai, 200438, China. .