Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between the production of the toxic and DNA damaging reactive oxidative species and the ability of the body to detoxify and repair tissue damage. These pathological processes have been involved in several diseases including cancer and dementia such Alzheimer’s. As a result, and although not proven effective, some antioxidants have been used to treat or prevent these illnesses. Although markers of oxidative stress have been found in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), it is not clear if this is a cause or consequence of the pathogenesis of BPH.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Texas, performed a novel study to address this issue. Their results were recently published in the Prostate journal, under the title “Oxidative Stress Promotes Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia”.