Enlarged Prostate

Overview :

The common term for enlarged prostate is BPH, which stands for benign (non-cancerous) prostatic hyperplasia or hypertrophy. Hyperplasia means that the prostate cells are dividing too rapidly, increasing the total number of cells, and, therefore, the size of the organ itself. Hypertrophy simply means "enlargement." BPH is part of the aging process. The actual changes in the prostate may start as early as the 30s but take place very gradually, so that significant enlargement and symptoms usually do not appear until after age 50. Past this age the chances of the prostate enlarging and causing urinary symptoms become progressively greater. More than 40% of men in their 70s have an enlarged prostate. Symptoms generally appear between ages 55-75. About 10% of all men eventually will require treatment for BPH.

BPH has been viewed as a rare condition in African, Chinese, and other Asian peoples for reasons that are not clear.