Association between air pollution and benign prostatic hyperplasia: An ecological study

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent medical condition; however, little is known about the effect of environmental factors. Therefore, we conducted surveys to examine the association between air pollution and the risk of BPH in South Korea between May 2010 and April 2013, yielding data for 1,734 men. Air pollution information was obtained from the National Air Pollutants Emission 2010 report. Logistic regression analyses were conducted after adjusting for potential confounders. The International Prostate Symptom Score significantly increased with increasing per capita air pollutant emissions. The risk of BPH increased as the overall concentration of air pollutants increased (odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55–3.21). In particular, nitrogen oxides (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.25–2.39) and sulfur oxides (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.42–2.88) showed a dose-dependent association. Our findings support a positive association between the risk of BPH and air pollution.