For Any Man Over The Age of 40

Don't wait until symptoms develop- take action now to help protect against prostate problems that could haunt you later.

By Dr.Samuel N. Grief, MD, FCFP

If you don't know what your prostate is or what it does, you're certainly not alone: most men don't. But you really should. More than 30 million men suffer from prostate conditions that negatively affect their quality of life. There isn't a better time to discuss this serious issue than Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Men of any age are susceptible to prostate conditions, but men age 40 and older are much more likely to experience them. Men should be taking extra precautions to take care of their prostate as early as age 40, before they experience symptoms.

The prostate is a small gland, about the size of a walnut, that surrounds the urethra, a tube that passes urine from the bladder to the penis. The prostate gland grows quite a lot during puberty, and then doesn't change much until about the age of 40. At this time, it slowly begins growing again and, in many men, doesn't stop. Half of all men aren't bothered by their growing prostate, but the others will develop any one of three prostate diseases because of inflammation: enlarged prostate, prostate cancer or prostatitis. Some men may suffer from more than one of these conditions.

The medical term for an elarged prostate is benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH). A non-cancerous disorder, an enlarged prostate is the most common prostate health problem among men. Half of men between the ages of 50 and 60 will develop it, and by the age of 80, about 90 percent will have experienced BPH symptoms.

BPH may result in a range of uncomfortable symptoms such as frequent urination, incomplete emptying of the bladder, a weak urine sream or difficulty starting urination.

As the prostate slowly continues to enlarge, symptoms may gradually worsen, interfering with sleep, physical comfort and routine activities. In rare cases, an untreated enlarged prostate may lead to an inability to urinate, incontinence, bladder stones, kidney infections, and damage to the bladder, kidneys, and urethra.

Treatment for BPH often involves prescription medicine, surgery, or both.


Supplements can shrink the prostate enough to lessen or even rid a man of the most bothersome symptoms. However, if a man's BPH symptoms continue or worsen, it is strongly encouraged that he consults a healthcare provider for further evaluation.

Each year over 230,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 30,000 will die of it. There are several factors that could put you at risk of developing prostate cancer:

* Age. As men age, the risk increases. Those at the earliest risk are those who are 40 or over with a family history of prostate cancer and African American ancestry. For other men, the risk is greatest for those who are 50 and above. Most prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65, but it is becoming more common in men 55-65.

* Family history. Your risk of developing prostate cancer is doubled if your father, brother, or close male blood relative has or had the disease.

* Race. African Americans have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world, at least twice as high as Caucasian men.

* Diet. Eating a diet that's low in fiber and high in fat and red meat has been shown to increase cancer risk.

Even though one in six men (17%) will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, only one in 33 (3%) will die of it. This is partly because early treatment of prostate cancer is often effective and partly because other illnesses often overtake prostate cancer as the ultimate cause of death. So, some men have prostate cancer and never even know it - they live long healthy lives without knowing the diagnosis, and eventually die of something having nothing to do with prostate cancer.

Your healthcare provider can help you assess your risk for prostate disease and determine whether it is appropriate to undergo a blood test screening (prostate specific antigen or PSA) for prostate cancer.

Ideally, you will help protect yourself from prostate disease by:

* Leading an active lifestyle

* Consuming foods rich with healthful vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

* Complementing your daily sustenance with a high-quality prostate specific supplement.

Prostate disease need not be the end of a healthy life. Talk to your healthcare provider about what you can do to feel better today and healthier tomorrow.