What Is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate gland. Normally the size of a walnut, the prostate gland sits below the bladder and surrounds the urethra (the tube that moves urine from the bladder out of the body).

BPH is not cancer and it does not raise your risk for prostate cancer.

Common Symptoms of BPH
When you have BPH, the prostate gland gets bigger and may compress the urethra. As this happens, the bladder wall becomes thickened and irritable. The bladder then begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine. The enlarged prostate can also push up against the bladder.

BPH can lead to problems associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that may include:

An urgent need to urinate
Increased frequency of urination, especially at night (nocturia)
Inability to urinate or straining while urinating
Weak urine stream
A urine stream that starts and stops (intermittence)
Unable to empty your bladder completely
Dribbling at the end of urinating

If you’re experiencing symptoms of BPH—or are finding they interfere with normal sleeping patterns, daily activities, or maintaining your quality of life—contact your primary care physician or urologist immediately.

Left untreated, BPH could lead to health complications, such as kidney stones, infection, lack of bladder control (neurogenic bladder), and complete bladder outlet obstruction or blockage.

If you and your healthcare provider determine that you have BPH, it’s a good idea to discuss the various treatment options available, including prostatic artery embolization (PAE).

Who Is at Risk?
The likelihood of developing an enlarged prostate increases with age.

What does the research say?

The risk of BPH increases with age after 40, with a prevalence of 50% of men in their 60s reporting prostate problems and numbers increasing thereafter¹
Black and Hispanic men are at a higher risk²
BPH runs in the family. Men with male relatives who have enlarged prostates are more at risk for developing symptoms¹
Conditions associated with heart disease are also linked to BPH¹
Obesity increases the risk of BPH, while exercise has been shown to lower your risk³

REFERENCES

1. Patel, N. D., & Parsons, J. K. (2014). Epidemiology and etiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia and bladder outlet obstruction. Indian Journal of Urology, 30(2): 170-176. doi: 10.4103/0970-1591.126900

2. Kristal, A. R., Arnold, K. B., Schenk, J. M., Neuhouser, M. L., Weiss, N., Goodman, P., Antvelink, C. M., Penson, D. F., & Thompson, I. M. (2007). Race/ethnicity, obesity, health related behaviors and the risk of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia: results from the prostate cancer prevention trial. The Journal of Urology, 177(4): 1395-1400.

3. Parsons, J. K., Sarma, A. V., McVary, K., & Wei, J. T. (2013). Obesity and benign prostatic hyperplasia: clinical connections, emerging etiological paradigms and future directions. The Journal of Urology, 189(1): S102-S106. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.11.029