Background: While some studies have indicated that physical activity may protect against benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), others have not.
Objective: To evaluate the association of physical activity with BPH and LUTS.
Design, setting, and participants: Systematic review and meta-analysis using MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and abstracts from the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association. We selected observational studies that provided empirical data and analyzed abstracted data with random effects models.
Measurements: BPH, LUTS, and physical activity levels.
Results and limitations: Eleven (n=43 083 men) studies met selection criteria. Eight studies observed inverse, 2 studies null, and 1 study equivocal associations of physical activity with BPH or LUTS. Eight studies (n=35675) were eligible for pooled analyses. We stratified physical activity levels into light, moderate, and vigorous categories, with a sedentary category for reference. Compared to the sedentary group, the pooled odds ratios for BPH or LUTS were 0.70 (95% CI 0.44-1.13, p=0.14), 0.74 (95% CI 0.60-0.92, p=0.005), and 0.74 (95% CI 0.59-0.92, p=0.006) for men engaging in light, moderate, and heavy physical activity, respectively.
Conclusions: Physical activity reduces the risks of BPH and LUTS. These findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating that the BPH/LUTS complex is associated with modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease and suggest that increased physical activity may prevent or attenuate these conditions.