Abstract
Aging, genetics, and a family history of BPH/LUTS can profoundly increase the risk of these conditions. Yet the observation that prescription alpha-blocker (originally designed to reduce blood pressure) medications could quickly reduce BPH severity for some men, along with decades of lifestyle research, now suggests that BPH prevention and perhaps partial treatment may occur via heart-healthy processes. Almost all documented heart-healthy interventions or lifestyle changes can prevent some aspect of BPH/LUTS. Moderate alcohol intake, blood pressure, glucose, lipid, caloric, and weight control, and exercise and increased vegetable, fiber, and plant omega-3 intakes are just some of the many lifestyle factors that are gaining consistent data to suggest that this condition can be prevented, delayed, and partially treated with heart-healthy behaviors. However, heart-unhealthy lifestyle changes could also lead to profound increases in the risk and need for treatment for BPH/LUTS. The time is now for clinicians to embrace, practice, and promote heart-healthy behaviors to men concerned about BPH/LUTS. Heart health equals prostate health. This mantra is easy to say but difficult to comply with, which is why there is a need to constantly emphasize the overwhelming amount of old and new data that suggest that BPH/LUTS is a lifestyle-impacted condition for many men around the world.
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Moyad, M.A. (2014). BPH/LUTS: Heart Healthy = Prostate Healthy. In: Complementary & Alternative Medicine for Prostate and Urologic Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8492-9_2
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