Pycnogenol (R) supplementation prevents inflammation and symptoms in recurrent, non-severe urinary infections

BACKGROUND: The aim of this pilot, registry study was to evaluate the prophylactic effects of oral supplementation with Pycnogenol (R) (150 mg/day) in subjects with previous history of recurrent (urinary tract infections (UTI) in a 2-month open follow-up. METHODS: subjects with recurrent-UTIs, defined by: 1) at least three symptomatic UTIs over the past year; 2) two episodes of UTI's in the past six months; 3) symptoms of UTIs with urinalysis without bacterial presence, were included in the study. Pycnogenol (R) was supplemented at the dose of 150 mg/day for 2 months. RESULTS: The two groups of subjects (supplement and controls, each including 25 subjects) were demographically and clinically comparable at baseline. No side effects or tolerability problems were observed. The registry evaluated the number of recurrent UTIs in two months; there was a limited decrease in the rate of recurrent UTIs, in comparison with the period before inclusion of 9.93% in the standard management group in comparison with a more important decrease in the Pycnogenol (R) group (-50.1%; P<0.05). The number of episodes decreased from 3.22 +/- 0.4 to 2.9 +/- 0.3 in the control group in 2 months versus a decrease from 3.1 +/- 0.5 to 1.6 +/- 0.6 in the Pycnogenol (R) group. The number of infection-free subjects at the end of the two-month registry study was significantly higher with the supplement (P<0.05) than in controls. Oxidative stress measured as plasma free radicals at inclusion was 388 +/- 22 Carr units in the control group and resulted unchanged (not significant) at the end of the study (379 +/- 21 Carr units). In the supplement group, there was a significant decrease in oxidative stress from 389 +/- 24 to 227 +/- 14 Carr units at the end of the study (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot registry indicates that prophylaxis with Pycnogenol (R) decreases the occurrence of UTIs both in men and women without side effects and with a good tolerability. The effects of Pycnogenol (R) in these patients - including the control of oxidative stress - may be very important, particularly when a predominantly inflammatory component (UTI without infection or with a minimal bacterial component due to bacterial fragments) is present and maintains the inflammatory process.