Some Risk Factors for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)

BPH affects many, if not most, men after 60. It’s the non-malignant but unregulated growth of the prostate gland, causing obstruction to the flow of urine, which then causes increased frequency, urgency, dribbling, and incomplete bladder emptying. The cause is unknown. But now we’ve an idea about possible risk factors.

As part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging 400+ men had very complete urinary work-ups. One in five of them had prostate enlargement. Those with BPH averaged 65 years of age, those without 55 years.

Obesity, based on the BMI, played a possible role: overweight men (BMI 25 to 30) were 1.4 times as likely, obese men (BMI 30-35) were 1.3 times as likely, and severely obese men (BMI over 35) were 3 times as likely to have BPH as normal-weight men.

Men with fasting blood sugar levels above 110 mg/dL or those diagnosed with diabetes were 3 or 2.5 times as likely, respectively, to have BPH as men without these problems.

As the authors point out, the increasing rate of obesity and diabetes, coupled with the rapid aging of the population, mean that more and more men will be found to have BPH. The good news is, however, that exercise and a healthy diet will go a long way to counteract these factors and therefore decrease the risk. You know what to do!