Toward healthy aging through BPH burden forecasting: a WHO-strategy-compliant assessment of global trends

Yifan Huang^1,2,#, Bingzhi Han^2,#, Xin Lian^1,3,#, Qianhao Huang², Zikai Huang^1,2, Yushan Huang^4,*, Bin Chen^1,2,*, Yuedong Chen^1,2,*
1 The Graduate School of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
2 The Key Laboratory of Urinary Tract Tumors and Calculi, Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
3 Department of Urology, Lishui Municipal Central Hospital, Lishui, China
4 Department of Urology Surgery, Anxi County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anxi, Quanzhou, China
* Corresponding Author: Yushan Huang. Email: email ; Bin Chen. Email: email " />; Yuedong Chen. Email: email " />
# These authors contributed equally to this work
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advancing the Diagnosis and Treatment of Urological Diseases through Big Data)

Canadian Journal of Urology https://doi.org/10.32604/cju.2026.081319

Received 28 February 2026; Accepted 02 June 2026; Published online 25 August 2026

Abstract

Backgrounds: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common chronic condition in older men, imposing substantial global healthcare burden. This study aims to assess the global, regional, and age-specific burden of BPH among adults aged 50–79 years from 1990 to 2021 using GBD 2021 data, and to forecast trends through 2036.
Methods: Prevalence, Incidence and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were assessed by age and Socio-demographic Index (SDI); decomposition analysis and Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort modeling were applied.
Results: In 2021, there were approximately 112.5 million global prevalent BPH cases (ASPR: 2782.6 /100,000) and 2.23 million DALYs (ASDR: 55.1/100,000). Middle-SDI regions bore the highest absolute burden, whereas low-SDI regions experienced the steepest increase in age-standardized rates. The 65–69-year group had historical peak burden, while 75–79-year group grew fastest. Projections show 65–69-year cohort will have the most rapid prevalence/incidence rise, and 70–74-year cohort the largest DALY increase by 2036.
Conclusions: BPH burden has significant regional and age disparities. Escalating burden in middle- and low-SDI regions demands targeted strategies. Aligned with WHO and UN healthy aging initiatives, enhanced early screening, prevention, and management are critical to mitigate BPH’s impact.