Hispanic men at risk for BPH

African-American and Hispanic Men at Risk for BPH
Dolores Bundy, Atlanta Health Trends Examiner, June 20, 2009

According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Center, Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) affects approximately half of all men over the age of 50 and as many as 90 percent of men aged 70 and older. Defined as manageable if properly diagnosed by a physician, the symptoms of BPH include frequent and urgent urination; weak urinary stream; the need to urinate at night, or feeling of incomplete bladder emptying.

“Let me make this very, very clear,” R. Lawrence Hatchett, M.D., a board certified Urologist and Director of Southern Illinois Urology explains. “Having an enlarged prostate has no association what-so-ever with prostate cancer. However, BPH affects nearly 8 million men in the United States.”

BPH, or an enlarged prostate, is defined as a progressive condition in which prostate cells grow more rapidly than normal and cause the prostate to become enlarged.

According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC). African-American and Hispanic men are less likely than Caucasian men to see a physician. Thirty-nine percent of Hispanic men did not visit a doctor or health professional in the past 12 months, compared to 27 percent of African-American men and 23 percent of Caucasian men. “With aging, the majority of men will have some BPH symptoms,” says Hatchett. “The symptoms may vary and, if left untreated, can involve problems with urination that disrupt men’s lives.”

To inform men of this condition and acknowledge that there is help available, Men’s Health Network (MHN) and the National Black Men’s Health Network (NBMHN) has enhanced its Back to Life Without Interruptions campaign to raise awareness and offer information that is specific to African-American and Hispanic men age 50 and above. The initiative includes information about BPH; a complete self-assessment tool; and tips on how to consult physicians about diagnosis and treatment in both Spanish and English.

Dr. Hatchett’s main interests are concentrated in men’s health, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), erectile dysfunction and kidney stone treatment and prevention. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and received his medical degree at the University of Chicago. “I have been involved with the Men’s Health Network for some time now to foster the Back to Life Without Interruptions campaign,” he says. “I want people to become aware of the symptoms of BPH.

“These symptoms include what we call Obstructive or Irritative symptoms. Obstructive symptoms include a weak stream, difficulty in initiating the stream, a feeling of not having completely emptied the bladder, and stopping and starting initiation,” He continues. “Irritative symptoms have patients usually coming in to see me, which include symptoms that typically interrupt life with maybe having to urinate every 30 minutes, or urging incontinence, getting up two to six times in the middle of the night, affecting your sleep.”

The Back to Life Without Interruptions campaign hopes to bring to the forefront the issue of men adjusting their lifestyle to accommodate the symptoms of their BPH rather than treating them. “We want to encourage all men, including the African-American and Hispanic men who are statistically less likely to see a physician, to seek treatment if they experience symptoms of BPH and not to accept these types of daily interruptions in their lives,” says Dr. Jean Bonhomme, board of directors, Men’s Health Network ,and founder of the National Black Men's Health Network. “There are treatments available and men do not have to alter their daily routines for this condition.”

Men's Health Network (MHN) is a non-profit educational organization comprised of physicians, researchers, public health workers, individuals and other health professionals. MHN is committed to improving the health and wellness of men through education campaigns, partnerships with retailers and other private entities, workplace health programs, data collection, and work with health care providers to provide better programs and funding for men's health needs.

The National Black Men's Health Network was founded in June 1987 by a group of community-conscious individuals to raise public awareness about the excessive morbidity and mortality rates in the African-American community in general and among African-American males in particular.

“African-American males are known to suffer extremely high rates of heart disease, cancer, homicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, HIV disease, injuries, and other major causes of disability and death,” Hatchett informs. “While maintaining a specific focus on the grave and often-neglected health concerns of African-American men, the organization also advocates and supports attention to the health needs of women and children, believing that the overall health of any community depends upon a positive balance between the genders.”

“Typically, symptoms of BPH start slowly and become severe over time,” concludes Hatchett. “It gets to the point where men do not recognize how much they compromise their work and leisure activities to accommodate the need to urinate.”

For more information, visit the website www.nointerruptions.com