In a nutshell
This study looked at the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This study concluded that patients with BPH have an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
Some background
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. An enlarged prostate can affect bladder function and have a negative impact on quality of life. Treatments for BPH may include medication or surgery to remove excess prostate tissue. Medications for BPH often result in many side effects while surgery can lead to complications.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular heartbeat. This irregular heartbeat can be associated with an increased risk of many heart-related complications. This study looks at whether the risk of having AF is higher as a patient with BPH.
Methods & findings
Database searches were carried out to find patients with AF. 15670 patients with BPH, who also had AF, were found. A control group was formed from 15670 patients with AF, but without BPH. The average follow up for each group was approximately 5 years.
Patients with BPH had a higher risk of having AF than the patients in the control group. Specifically, this was approximately 5 in 1000 people who had BPH also had AF. The incidence of AF in the control group, who did not have BPH, was approximately 4 in 1000 patients. It also found that patients with BPH who had had surgery to treat BPH had a lower risk of having AF than the control group.
The bottom line
This study concluded that the risk of having AF is higher in men with BPH than men without BPH. It also found that the increased AF risk could be removed when patients had surgery to treat BPH.
The fine print
The authors note that the patients who had BPH may have been followed more closely by doctors than those patients without BPH. This may have affected the study's results.
What’s next?
If you are interested in learning more about the risk of atrial fibrillation as a patient with benign prostatic hyperplasia, talk to your doctor.
Published By :
Clinical cardiology
Date :
Aug 24, 2018
