Prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia in Spanish men 40 years old or older

We estimate the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) according to symptoms as well as prostate obstruction determined by uroflowmetry and prostate size.

A cross-sectional study was performed at the autonomous community of Andalusia in 1,106 men 40 years old or older. The International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) questionnaire was used to establish symptoms, abdominal and transrectal ultrasonography was done to measure prostate size and uroflowmetry was performed to measure urinary flow obstruction.

The prevalence of moderate or severe symptoms was 24.94% and it increased with age. Of the 1,106 subjects 4.19% had severe prostatism, while 12.45% had poor quality of life (I-PSS greater than 3). Average prostate size was greater than 30 gm. in men 60 years old or older. Maximum urine flow was less than 10 and 15 ml. per second in 25.97 and 55.67% of the men, respectively. The prevalence of BPH, defined as I-PSS greater than 7, maximum flow less than 15 ml. per second and prostate size greater than 30 gm., was 11.77% (range 0.75 to 30 at ages 40 to 49 and greater than 70 years, respectively).

The prevalence of BPH increases with age. Moderate prostatism is perceived as resulting in poor quality of life by young subjects and good quality of life by some older subjects. In some men there were symptoms and obstruction but no prostate enlargement. This percentage persists with age after 50 years, when the prevalence of BPH starts to increase.