New Causes of Prostate Enlargement Revealed

Most men experience prostate enlargement, or BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) as they age. To date, we have still not uncovered the exact reason why this occurs. However, thanks to new evidence published in the journal Aging, we are starting to get a clearer picture of the causes of prostate enlargement.

Searching for Causes of Prostate Enlargement

About half of men aged 50 to 60 develop BPH symptoms, while, by the age of 80, almost 90% of men experience prostate enlargement. Given these statistics, we can tell that there's a link between aging and your risk for an enlarged prostate. And now, with this study, we can more narrowly identify key causes of prostate enlargement: inflammation, high blood pressure or cholesterol and/or obesity.

To reach these conclusions, the study followed 218 men, analyzing blood samples from 75 men without BPH and 144 men experiencing prostate enlargement. Here's what they found: the men with BPH showed more signs of oxidative stress, indicating chronic inflammation. They were also more likely to display signs of a metabolic disorder, defined as having obesity and/or high blood pressure or cholesterol. After making these findings, the authors stated, “There is mounting evidence that links the onset of inflammation with the development of prostate diseases, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer."

Prevention and Treatment

Given these findings, there is new hope that you can prevent or delay prostate enlargement through lifestyle measures. Specifically, managing your stress and weight; following a healthy diet; and getting regular exercise could help you reduce some of the causes of prostate enlargement.

Not sure where to start? First, you can check out this diet for enlarged prostate relief. Next, you can focus on relieving Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) such as nocturia and urgency by reducing the intake of irritants such as alcohol and caffeine and by eliminating your fluid intake at least two hours before going to bed.

Finally, if you want to find relief by shrinking your prostate gland, we encourage you to learn more about PAE treatment at the Georgia Prostate Institute. This minimally invasive procedure can offer lasting BPH symptom relief. And you can start to explore your candidacy for this treatment by [ga-apt-link] requesting a consultation [/ga-apt-link].