Physical Activity and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Abstract

BENIGN PROSTATIC hyperplasia (BPH), a condition characterized by hyperplastic nodules in the periurethral region and transition zone of the prostate, overall prostatic enlargement, and lower urinary tract symptoms, is highly prevalent among middle-aged and elderly men.¹ More than 40% of older men may experience bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms,² and in the United States more than 200000 transurethral resections of the prostate are performed annually for symptom relief.³ The lower urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH may reflect multiple underlying abnormalities, including greater prostatic mass impinging on the urethra (mechanical or static component), which is influenced by androgens, and heightened tone of prostatic smooth muscle (dynamic component), which is controlled by sympathetic adrenergic neurons of the autonomic nervous system.⁴ Widely used pharmacological treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms include α₁-adrenergic receptor blockers, which relax prostatic smooth muscle, while a reduction in prostatic mass is achieved by 5α-reductase inhibitors, which block the conversion of testosterone to the more potent dihydrotestosterone.^5,6