Lower urinary tract symptoms, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and obesity

Obesity has emerged as a global public health challenge. During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. In 2007, only one state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. In this growing epidemic of national concern is an emerging relationship between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and obesity. BPH is the most common neoplastic condition afflicting men and constitutes a major factor impacting the health of the American male. Associations among obesity, physical inactivity, and BPH/LUTS resulting from epidemiological studies have not been explored via clinical trial methodology. A review of the available data appears to support a strong independent relationship between obesity and BPH/LUTS. This review also indicates that gene expression within the prostate varies with prostate size and can be affected by lifestyle modifications. Future studies may lead to office detection of a patient's particular polymorphisms, which may help guide individual treatment and lifestyle modifications that are more likely to succeed.