There probably isn’t one clear-cut explanation for BPH; it involves too many disparate factors. But we do know that the development of BPH has at least two prerequisites—the testes, and aging. And new research suggests that a third condition, family history, may also be important.
The testes, housed in the scrotum, are the main source of the male hormone, or androgen, called testosterone, which is responsible for secondary sex characteristics, like post-puberty body hair and deepening of the voice, and for fertility. Testosterone acts on the prostate, but it’s not the only thing that makes the prostate grow. In fact, as it turns out, testosterone is not even the primary troublemaker in BPH; it just initiates the process. The trouble starts when testosterone is converted by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase to DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is the major androgen, or male hormone, inside the prostate cell. (The thermostat that regulates all this activity is the hypothalamus, located in the brain.)
The testes, housed in the scrotum, are the main source of the male hormone, or androgen, called testosterone, which is responsible for secondary sex characteristics, like post-puberty body hair and deepening of the voice, and for fertility. Testosterone acts on the prostate, but it’s not the only thing that makes the prostate grow. In fact, as it turns out, testosterone is not even the primary troublemaker in BPH; it just initiates the process. The trouble starts when testosterone is converted by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase to DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is the major androgen, or male hormone, inside the prostate cell. (The thermostat that regulates all this activity is the hypothalamus, located in the brain.)
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