The Rising Worldwide Impact of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

To trend the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms attributed to benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) on a global scale. LUTS/BPH is a globally prevalent chronic disease causing significant morbidity and quality of life impairment.

Current understanding of trends in LUTS/BPH is limited to studies predominantly focused on North America and Europe. Using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, we sought to trend this impact from a more global viewpoint.

Using the GBD database, worldwide data aggregated from registries and health systems from 1990-2017 were filtered for LUTS/BPH diagnoses. Calculation of years lived with disease (YLD) were compared with other urological disease. YLD were calculated by a standardized method using assigned disability weights. GBD-defined socio-demographic index was used to assess impact of LUTS/BPH by global SDI quintile.

GBD data over the 1990-2017 study period are summarized and global numbers and trends noted with other urologic disease for comparison. 2,427,334 YLDs were attributed to BPH in 2017 alone, almost 3 times greater than the next highest urologic disease, prostate cancer (843,227 YLDs). When stratified by SDI quintiles, a much lower impact of BPH was found in the bottom three quintiles, despite this subset representing 66.9% of 2017 world population.

LUTS/BPH exerts a rapidly rising human burden far exceeding other urologic disease. As the population ages and lower SDI men enjoy increased life expectancy and decreased competing mortalities, a continually accelerating wave of LUTS/BPH can be forecast. These epidemiologic trends have serious implications for the future allocation of resources and the global urologic workforce.

BJU international. 2020 Oct 30 [Epub ahead of print]

Bryn M Launer, Kevin T McVary, William A Ricke, Granville L Lloyd

University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA., Center for Male Health, Department of Urology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA., George M. O'Brien Center of Research Excellence, Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA., Department of Surgery/Urology, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine /Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA.