Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and related lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) affect the quality of life of many middle-aged and elderly men. Apart from the prevalence of BPH increasing with age, not much is known with certainty about its cause. Genetics and hormones probably contribute to this common condition, as well as several lifestyle factors such as obesity, physical activity, nutrition, smoking, and alcohol consumption. This review considers the lifestyle risk factors that are thought to contribute to BPH and LUTS via hyperinsulinemia and increased insulin resistance, changes in sex steroid hormone concentrations, oxidative stress, an increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and changes in the concentration of insulin-like growth factors. Changes in lifestyle may be one approach to avoid or possibly improve symptoms.
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