"This is the first study on the topic to sample the general community," says Andrew Rule, M.D., the Mayo Clinic kidney specialist who conducted the study with epidemiologist Steven Jacobsen, M.D., Ph.D.

"Symptomatic and non-symptomatic men were compared, unlike clinical trials and studies in a urology practice, which tend to represent only symptomatic men."

BPH and chronic kidney disease pose significant health problems in older men. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs when the kidneys cannot rid metabolic wastes from the body or maintain the proper fluid and chemical balances. Eventually, the waste builds up and becomes poisonous to the body. Kidney disease can develop rapidly - in two to three months - or gradually over decades.

Many risks coincide with the development of CKD. "Several studies show men with chronic kidney disease have increased chance of death, hospitalization and cardiovascular events," says Dr. Rule.

The prostate gland is located just below a male's bladder and surrounds the top portion of the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder. "Growth of the prostate gland can lead to a bladder outlet obstruction," says Dr. Rule. "An obstruction of the bladder can cause inability to or discomfort in emptying the bladder, a slowed stream of urine, frequent urges to void during the night or an enlarged, damaged bladder."

"We were surprised at how much kidney disease can be attributed to BPH," says Dr. Jacobsen. "An obstruction on the urethra is like a dam on a river - men can still void, but the constant buildup and pressure will ultimately cause damage." BPH affects about half o
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Contact: Lisa Lucier or Marissa Mulford
newsbureau@mayo.edu
507-284-5005
Mayo Clinic
28-Jun-2005