Lower urinary tract symptoms–Benign prostatic hyperplasia may increase the risk of subsequent inguinal hernia in a Taiwanese population: A nationwide population-Based cohort study

Introduction & objectives: It has been suggested that lower urinary tract symptoms—benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS-BPH) may be a risk factor for inguinal hernia (IH). The aim of this study was to examine the emergence of a subsequent IH diagnosis in men with and without LUTS-BPH. Methods: From a database derived from the National Health Insurance Program covering 99% of the population in Taiwan, 22,310 men with LUTS-BPH and 22,310 matched men without LUTS-BPH were identified and followed for IH from 1997 to 2013. Both IH and LUTS-BPH were defined by the ninth revision of the International Classification of Diseases code (ICD9). Subjects younger than 20 years of age and with IH diagnosed before the index date were excluded. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for subsequent IH, controlling for potential confounders. Results: Men with and without LUTS-BPH had similar age and comorbidity distributions. During the 10 years of follow-up, 1,303 (5.84%) men with LUTS-BPH and 735 (2.53%) men without LUTS-BPH developed IH. The mean time to IH was 4.02 years and 4.44 years, respectively. After adjusting for age and comorbidities, LUTS-BPH was associated with a two-fold increased risk of IH (HR:2.25, 95% CI = 2.04–2.49). Conclusion: This nation-wide population-based cohort study showed that LUTS-BPH increased the risk of subsequent IH in a Taiwanese Population.