A family history of BPH appears to increase a man's chance of developing the condition, but the increased risk is slight. Research into other possible risk factors is ongoing. Problems with urination can be very distressing and severely affect quality of life, although individual response to these symptoms varies widely. Some men can tolerate very uncomfortable sensations of abnormal urination, while other men seek relief from mild symptoms. This signals obstruction of the bladder, which, in rare cases, is so extensive that it completely blocks urine flow and requires emergency surgery.
Urine retention can also cause bladder stones or urinary tract infection and impair kidney function.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, however, progresses very slowly and complications are uncommon. BPH does not appear to impair sexual function. Because BPH causes prostate enlargement, many men are concerned that it may be related to prostate cancer. Fortunately, current evidence indicates that it has no effect one way or the other. Some estimates suggest that one-third of all men over age 50 have at least microscopic prostate cancer.