Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2025

Ultrasonography of the Adult Male Urinary Tract for Urinary Functional Testing
Published on: August 14, 2019
Association of life's crucial 9 score with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a cross-sectional study
Haoran Wang1, Runhua Tang1, Shuhang Luo1
1Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Improving cardiovascular health (CVH) through the Life's Crucial 9 (LC9) score significantly lowers benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) risk. However, this score did not show a clear association with prostate cancer (PCa) risk.
Area of Science:
- Men's Health
- Cardiovascular Health
- Prostate Diseases
Background:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are common in aging men, impacting quality of life.
- Cardiovascular health (CVH) and lifestyle factors are linked to chronic diseases, but their role in prostate diseases is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between CVH, measured by the Life's Crucial 9 (LC9) score, and the risk of BPH and PCa.
- To analyze data from a large UK cohort to understand these relationships.
Main Methods:
- Utilized UK Biobank data from 26,656 male participants.
- Calculated the LC9 score based on physical, metabolic, and psychological factors, including mental health.
- Employed logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses to assess associations.
Main Results:
- A higher LC9 score was significantly linked to a reduced risk of BPH (P < 0.001) in a dose-response manner.
- The protective effect of LC9 on BPH was more pronounced in individuals with lower socioeconomic deprivation.
- No significant association was found between the LC9 score and the risk of prostate cancer (PCa).
Conclusions:
- Enhanced cardiovascular and psychological health, as indicated by the LC9 score, is crucial for reducing BPH risk.
- The lack of association between LC9 and PCa suggests different underlying mechanisms requiring further investigation.
- Findings offer insights for targeted prevention and management strategies for prostate health.
Background:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are prevalent prostate diseases in aging male populations, with significant implications for quality of life and healthcare burden. While cardiovascular health (CVH) and lifestyle factors have been linked to aging and chronic diseases, their association with prostate diseases remains underexplored.
Objective:
This study investigates the relationship between CVH, assessed using the Life's Crucial 9 (LC9) score, and the risk of prostate diseases, including BPH and PCa, in a large UK cohort.
Methods:
Data from 26,656 male participants in the UK Biobank were analyzed. The LC9 score, an expanded CVH metric incorporating mental health, was calculated based on physical, metabolic, and psychological factors. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses were performed to examine associations between the LC9 score and prostate diseases. Subgroup and interaction analyses were conducted to explore potential modifiers.
Results:
A higher LC9 score was significantly associated with a lower risk of BPH in both continuous and categorical models (P < 0.001). The association demonstrated a linear dose-response relationship, with the inflection point at an LC9 score of 72.5. Subgroup analysis revealed stronger protective effects in participants with lower socioeconomic deprivation. However, no significant association was observed between the LC9 score and PCa risk, even in subgroup analyses.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the importance of overall cardiovascular and psychological health in reducing BPH risk, emphasizing the need for sustained healthy behaviors. The absence of a significant link between the LC9 score and PCa suggests distinct pathophysiological mechanisms and warrants further research. These findings provide valuable insights for targeted prevention and management strategies in prostate health.

