Benign prostatic hypertrophy for 80% of the over 65s

It does not cure and can get worse

This is a worrying "submerged", because the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy are similar to those of other diseases, including prostate cancer. It is up to the doctor to exclude them and, before the first symptoms, it is necessary to contact the clinician. The alarm for the "no man's land" in which the elderly are left with benign prostatic hypertrophy comes from CosmoSenior in progress in Rimini, the largest event dedicated to over-65s, now in its seventh edition and organized by FederAnziani Senior Italia.

Drugs

"Today there are drugs that can effectively control the disease – explains Vincenzo Mirone, director of the School of Specialization in Urology at the University of Naples Federico II -. In particular, the hexane extract of Serenoa repens acts with a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. It significantly reduces inflammation at the origin of the disease by about 30%. The drug, which must be prescribed by the doctor, is effective in the management of urinary symptoms and disorders of prostatic origin, proven by numerous publications in the literature and certified by bodies such as the European regulatory agency, Ema. The strength of the hexane extract of Serenoa repens, especially in patients over 70, is the excellent tolerability profile. Unlike alpha lytics and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, it does not negatively impact on the sexual sphere (desire, erection and ejaculation). Moreover, it does not cause an excessive lowering of the pressure, in people often already on pharmacological treatment for hypertension. Finally, by not altering the PSA values, it allows screening and early diagnosis of prostate cancer ".READ – Prostate cancer, a sitcom on the web to break down taboos

After 50 years

THE'BPH it affects more than six million citizens over 50. "But at least 3 million and 357 thousand over 65 do not treat it. In the common imagination, the elderly must resign themselves to suffer from urinary problems linked to aging. On the contrary, there are numerous medical therapies and surgical. If left untreated in a timely and appropriate manner, benign prostatic hypertrophy – explains Antonio Magi, general secretary of Sumai (Unitary Italian Ambulatory Medicine Union and Professionalism of the Health Area) -. it can cause serious disorders, such as acute urinary retention, a condition that requires catheterization, until prostate surgery is removed. Nevertheless, most men require medical advice only when they have been experiencing symptoms for some time ".

It also affects 30 years

The disease also affects the youngest (around 8% of 31-40 year-olds), affects 50% of the 51-60 year-olds, 70% of the 61-70 year-olds to reach 90% in the over-80s. "In patients below of 50 years, the symptoms and disorders related to the prostate are often ascribed to an unspecified picture of 'prostatitis', which is erroneously believed to be due to an infection of bacterial origin – explains Mirone -. Many young people with urinary disorders are therefore subjected to numerous cycles of antibiotic therapy, without resolving the clinical picture. Behavioral and medical therapies are in many cases not prescribed. Hence the "submerged" which also concerns forty-year-olds ".

The most frequent symptoms of the disease are represented by distinct urination disorders in two categories. Obstructive urinary symptoms, caused by enlargement of the prostate, which causes compression and obstruction of the urinary tract. Typical urinary obstructive symptoms are the slowed-down urinary jet, multiple urination and the feeling of failed bladder emptying ("tenesmus"). Irritative urinary symptoms are mainly related to alterations of the bladder, which occur as a result of the disease. They are represented by the need to urinate often during the day ("pollakiuria"), from the need to get up several times during the night to urinate ("nocturia"), from urinary urgency to urinary urge incontinence.

More exercise

Numerous scientific studies suggest that moderate and regular physical activity (for example walking, swimming, playing tennis, cycling or gymnastics at least three times a week) can significantly reduce the urinary disorders related to the disease. However, the elderly are not inclined to follow the rules of prevention. In Italy, 36.1% of men over 65 are completely sedentary, 48.2% are overweight, 13.4% are obese, and 32.6% consume alcohol in quantities that can damage health.

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