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This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older men (N= 3056) with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and its effects on their sexual function and mental health. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between prostate and lower urinary tract health and psychological well-being. Better prostate and lower urinary tract health positively affected psychological well-being, and sexual function also had a positive influence. LUTS have an adverse impact on sexual function and mental health. Early intervention is crucial for mitigating the negative impact of LUTS on the quality of life in older men. Addressing prostate and lower urinary tract health issues through appropriate interventions may improve psychological wellbeing. Health care professionals must consider the adverse effects of BPH and LUTS on sexual function and mental health, and implement interventions to enhance the overall quality of life in older men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells are high in heterogeneity and versatility, which can easily adapt to the external stresses via both primary and secondary resistance. Targeting of tumour microenvironment (TME) is a new approach and an ideal therapeutic strategy especially for the multidrug resistant cancer. Recently, we invented AANG, a natural compound formula containing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) derived Smad3 inhibitor Naringenin (NG) and Smad7 activator Asiatic Acid (AA), for rebalancing TGF-ß/Smad signalling in the TME, and its implication on the multidrug resistance is still unexplored. Here, we observed that an equilibrium shift of the Smad signalling in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which was dramatically enhanced in the recurrent cases showing p-glycoprotein overexpression. We optimized the formula ratio and dosage of AANG that effectively inhibit the proliferation of our unique human multidrug resistant subclone R-HepG2. Mechanistically, we found that AANG not only inhibits Smad3 at post-transcriptional level, but also upregulates Smad7 at transcriptional level in a synergistic manner in vitro. More importantly, AANG markedly suppressed the growth and p-glycoprotein expression of R-HepG2 xenografts in vivo. Thus, AANG may represent a novel and safe TCM-derived natural compound formula for overcoming HCC with p-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]