Chapter 14, Problem 56E

$Exercises53$ through $56$ refer to a study conducted between 2008 and 2010 on the effectiveness of saw palmetto fruit extracts at treating lower urinary tract symptoms in men with prostate enlargement. (Saw palmetto is a widely used over-the-counter supplement for treating urinary tract symptoms.) In the study, 369 men aged 45 years or older were randomly divided into a group taking a daily placebo and a group taking saw palmetto. Participants were nonpaid volunteers recruited at 11 North American sites. All had moderately impaired urinary flow. Because the saw palmetto extract has a mild odor, the doses were administered using gelcaps to eliminate the odor. In an analysis of the 306 men who completed the 72- week trial, both groups had similar small improvements in mean symptom scores, but saw palmetto conferred no benefit over placebo on symptom scores or on any secondary outcomes [Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 306(12), 2011, 1344—1351.]

If you were 55-year-old male with an enlarged prostate taking saw palmetto daily, how might you react to this study?