Changes in Prevalence and Treatment Pattern of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Korea

• Published in: International neurourology journal Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 347 - 354
• Main Authors: Jo, Jung Ki, Shinn, Sung Ho, Kim, Kyu Shik, Moon, Hong Sang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Continence Society 01.12.2021; 대한배뇨장애요실금학회
• Subjects: Original; prevalence; prostate; therapeutics; 비뇨기과학; Prostate; Prevalence; Therapeutics
• ISSN: 2093-6931; 2093-4777; 2093-6931
• DOI: 10.5213/inj.2040412.206

Purpose: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is associated with lower urinary tract symptoms and negatively affects the quality of life. We aimed to investigate the treatment pattern of BPH in South Korea.Methods: Information on treatment modalities and diagnoses of BPH was obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-Aged Patient Sample. Data on BPH patients aged ≥60 years from 2012 to 2016 were obtained. We surveyed the treatment pattern of BPH, including the types of drugs used and surgeries performed, according to the type of institution.Results: In this study, 18,260–24,657 BPH patients treated between 2012 and 2016 were included. The number of patients showed an increasing pattern, and drug therapy was the major treatment method used for BPH (98.77%). Moreover, the pattern of increased pharmacotherapy use for BPH was reinforced by the increasing number of patients. Prescription of α-blockers only was dominant in this cohort (45.7%). Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was the most commonly used surgical treatment for BPH (53.6%), but it showed a decreasing pattern over time. In contrast, holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) showed an increase from 19.4% to 39.7%.Conclusions: The most common treatment for BPH was drug therapy, predominantly only α-blocker therapy. The surgical treatment trend has changed from TURP to HoLEP.