Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To present data on the prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in five Middle Eastern countries (Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates; the latter three forming a Gulf cluster). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The SNAPSHOT programme was a multi-country, cross-sectional epidemiological survey conducted by telephone in a random sample of the adult general population. Subjects were considered to have BPH if they fulfilled the screening criteria, based on diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments received in the past 12 months. Current prevalence (last 12 months) was estimated. Association with co-morbidities was investigated via multivariate logistic regressions. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the three-level EuroQol five-dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L). RESULTS: In total, 5034 of 33,486 subjects enrolled in the SNAPSHOT programme were men aged ≥50 years. In all, 998 of these men fulfilled the BPH screening criteria. The overall prevalence of BPH ranged from 13.84% (95% confidence interval[CI] 12.3-15.4%) in Turkey, to 23.76% (95% CI 21.8-25.6%) in Egypt, and 23.79% (95% CI 21.2-26.3%) in the Gulf cluster. Co-morbidities occurred more frequently in men with BPH compared to the non-BPH population (57% vs 31%; P < 0.001). Principal co-morbidities associated with BPH were cardiovascular, renal, and diabetes mellitus (P < 0.001). The men with BPH reported significantly reduced QoL, with lower EQ-5D-3 L utility values (0.8) compared to the male general population (0.9) aged ≥50 years (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of BPH in these five Middle Eastern countries ranges from 13.84% to 23.79%. BPH has a negative impact on QoL and is associated with high levels of co-morbid diseases, indicating a need to better understand the management of the disease to reduce the impact on healthcare systems.