Educating patients about lifestyle modifications for prostate health

Abstract

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and other prostatic diseases share many observational and mechanistic features with cardiovascular disease. Both BPH and cardiovascular disease increase significantly with age and affect a disproportionate number of men from racial/ethnic minority populations. Pharmacotherapy and surgical options are the treatments most often discussed in the medical literature for the 2 conditions, and these treatments have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness, regardless of the severity of the condition. Obesity, lack of physical activity, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, higher blood pressure, a heart-unhealthy diet, and other factors that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease also appear to be associated with increased risk for BPH. However, the potential for lifestyle changes to prevent or reduce the severity of BPH, especially as an adjunct to conventional treatments, has not received significant attention, even in recent specialty treatment guidelines. Because lifestyle changes may affect the risk for developing BPH or its progression, clinicians are in need of guidelines they can use to educate patients about the potential links between increased risk of cardiovascular disease and increased risk or greater severity of BPH. Patients need to know that a heart-healthy lifestyle is also a prostate-healthy lifestyle. This article provides educational and lifestyle recommendations that may favorably affect BPH and improve overall health in men.