Although age has been found to be one of the biggest risk factors and causes for BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, genetics are also thought to be a concerning factor. Any person above the age of 50 is said to have over 50% risk of getting BPH, and it only increases over time. Certain genes in your DNA can increase your BPH risk further, however, knowing your genetic predisposition can help you manage the causes and symptoms of BPH better. How? And how does genetics affect your BPH risk? Let’s find out.

Role of Genetics in BPH

Genetics can be a risk factor for BPH. To what extent and how will be discussed later, but to summarise, if your immediate family members, i.e., your father or brother, has BPH, there’s a high risk you will get it too. As mentioned previously, the play of genetics in BPH is a good and bad thing both. If you are aware of your genetics priorly, you can take actions to take preventive steps against BPH from an early age. It will help you minimize your symptoms or even completely prevent the condition from affecting you. 

If you are unaware of your genetic makeup, it can be problematic because age combined with your genetic disposition can lead to complicated cases of BPH. In such cases, it is best to find out your genetic disposition at the earliest and inform your doctors accordingly. It will help them create a dedicated treatment plan for you, keeping your genetic disposition in mind. And overall, if you have been swift with your diagnosis, you can treat your condition without any complications or need for invasive procedures.

Now that you know about the genetic component of BPH, it’s important that you understand how exactly genetics affect your risk factors. So, let’s take a look at that.
 

Genetic Risk Factor of BPH

Saying that genetics are a risk factor for BPH is quite vague. There are certain genes specifically that contribute to the higher risk of BPH. As you already know, having an immediate family member with BPH increases your risk for BPH; to be precise, it increases your risk factor by almost 6 times. And not only that, the risk factor indicates that you would probably need to get surgery for your condition if you don’t get your condition checked in a timely manner. What are the genes specifically that increase your risk factor by this much? Let’s find out.

KLK3: This is a gene that is found in people with a higher risk for both BPH and prostate cancer. The KLK3 gene affects your body’s ability to process and create PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen, which is the hormone used for screening prostate cancer.

SRD5A2: This gene is linked with converting testosterone in your body to DHT or dihydrotestosterone. This is a more powerful variation of testosterone, and uncontrolled levels of DHT in the body are linked to uncontrolled prostate growth, which leads to BPH. So, the presence of the SRD5A2 gene can increase your risk of getting BPH.

HSD17B4:  HSD17B4 is a gene that affects your body’s ability to metabolise androgens, including testosterone. Unnatural levels of testosterone in your body lead to prostate growth, which can increase your risk factor for conditions like BPH.

These are some of the most commonly attributed genes that increase the risk of BPH in patients. There are other genes that can affect your BPH genetic risk. However, they don’t directly contribute to the risk; rather, they can influence your body in indirect ways, which could lead to an increased risk of BPH. 

Now that you know how genetics can influence your BPH risk, let’s look at some of the most common early symptoms of BPH. You can keep a lookout for these symptoms to get an early diagnosis of your condition if you are already genetically predisposed to BPH.
 

Early Symptoms of BPH

BPH as a condition is notorious for not showing symptoms until it’s too late to prevent the condition. However, there are certain symptoms that you should keep a lookout for if you have a genetic predisposition to BPH.

Urination Frequency: If you are over the age of 30, and you notice that you need to urinate more frequently than before quite suddenly, it can be an early symptom of BPH. So, make sure you keep a check on your urination frequency and get medical help immediately if you are urinating more than eight times a day.

Urination Urgency: Even if you are not urinating more than eight times a day, the urgency at which you need to urinate every time can also indicate BPH. An enlarged prostate puts pressure on your bladder, which increases the urgency of your need to urinate. So, if you feel like the urgency to urinate has increased over time, you should take it seriously and discuss that with your doctor.

Urine Retention: Although this is not an early symptom, feeling like you can’t empty your bladder completely after urinating is a telltale symptom of BPH. The enlarged prostate blocks your urinary tract, and that leads to feelings of being unable to empty your bladder completely after urinating. If you are just experiencing this symptom for a few days or weeks, you should get medical help.

Conclusion

Genetics has an important role in BPH development, risk, and even detection. It is what you do with the information of your genetic predisposition that decides how the condition affects you. If you have immediate family members with BPH and you are still fairly young, you can see experienced doctors and follow preventive measures to ensure you can keep your condition in check. 

To learn more about BPH treatment and diagnosis, visit MASSH today. We are experienced in treating all types of BPH cases and specialise in microsurgeries to treat advanced BPH cases. You can check out our website to learn more about our treatment processes or book an appointment today.