Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH): Cause


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Cause


Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is probably a normal part of the aging process in men, caused by changes in hormone balance and cell-growth factors. Genetics may also play a role.2 This is especially true for severe BPH requiring surgery in men younger than 60.

Men who are older than 50 have a higher chance of developing BPH. But why some men have more severe symptoms than others is not known.



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Last updated: March 24, 2008
Author: Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology
Editors: Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC

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