Effect of Human Placental Extract on Health Status in Elderly Koreans

Objectives. Human placental extract (HPE) has begun to be used in Korea in various ways to improve health, even though evidence-based data is insufficient. This study investigated the effects of HPE on health status in elderly Koreans. Design. Randomized, single-blind, and case-control study design. Setting and Participants. Thirty-nine community-dwelling healthy Koreans ≥65 years of age. Intervention. The participants were randomly categorized into a placebo group (n = 17) and HPE group (n = 22). The HPE group received abdominal subcutaneous injections of HPE for 8 weeks. The placebo group was injected with normal saline. Measurements. The degree of health status was surveyed by the Korean health status measure for the elderly (KoHSME V1.0) at baseline and the end of the study. Results. In the HPE group, the scores of physical function, sexual life, and general heath perception at the end of the study period were significantly improved from baseline (P = .007, .020, and .005, resp.), while the health status of the placebo group remained unchanged during the study period. There was a significant difference over the study period between the two groups in the mean change of the physical function score (P = .036). Conclusion. A HPE injection regimen can improve the health status in elderly Koreans.