Prostate disorders in an apparently normal Nigerian population 1: Prevalence

Abstract

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) constitutes a lot of health burden for adult males. Prevalence statistics are well documented in the developed world, but not so well documented in Africa, especially in Nigeria. This study was therefore carried out to provide information on the prevalence of BPH in this locality. Adult males (aged forty years or older) who reside in Nsukka, Enugu State Nigeria, who had no apparent symptoms of ill health, were used for the study. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) index was used to establish the presence of BPH, respondents’ choice of most troublesome symptom and respondents’ perception of their quality of life. The results show that 25.35% of the studied population had symptoms suggestive of BPH. The severity of symptoms was seen to increase with age. The respondents regarded Nocturia as the most troublesome symptom of BPH, while storage symptoms were seen to be more troublesome than voiding symptoms. Also 18.91% of the studied population had poor quality of life, while 81.08% were satisfied with their quality of life. The prevalence of BPH in the studied population shows that one in four apparently normal men have BPH. This is comparable to figures from the developed world. Sadly the awareness of the problem in Nigeria is not comparable to that in the developed world. This calls for a concerted effort to reverse this trend. This would check the devastating effect of BPH on the quality of life of men and thereby enhance productivity.