Folic acid lowers stroke risk in people with high blood pressure; Biomarkers for better prostate cancer screening.

March 19, 2015 March 19, 2015 4 tips for coping with an enlarged prostate When a man reaches about age 25, his prostate begins to grow. This natural growth is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and it is the most common cause of prostate enlargement. BPH is a benign condition that does not lead to prostate cancer, though the two problems can coexist. Get your copy of the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases Most men eventually develop some type of prostate problem, and when they do, there are usually no easy solutions. More than a primer on prostate conditions, the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases includes roundtable discussions with experts at the forefront of prostate research, interviews with men about their treatment decisions, and the latest thinking on complementary therapies. This report will provide you with the information you need to understand the current controversies, avoid common pitfalls, and work with your doctor to make informed choices about your prostate health. Although 50% to 60% of men with BPH may never develop any symptoms, others find that BPH can make life miserable. The symptoms of BPH include a hesitant, interrupted, weak urine stream urgency, leaking, or dribbling a sense of incomplete emptying more frequent urination, especially at night. As a result, many men seek treatment. The good news is that treatments are constantly being improved. Patients and their physicians have more medications from which to choose, so if one doesn't do the trick, another can be prescribed. And thanks to some refinements, surgical treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects than ever before. But there are some things men dealing with BPH can do on their own. When symptoms are not particularly bothersome, watchful waiting may be the best way to proceed. This involves regular monitoring to make sure complications aren't developing, but no treatment. For more troubling symptoms, most doctors begin by recommending a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Often this will be enough to relieve the worst symptoms and prevent the need for surgery. Tips for relieving BPH symptoms Four simple steps can help relieve some of the symptoms of BPH: Some men who are nervous and tense urinate more frequently. Reduce stress by exercising regularly and practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation. When you go to the bathroom, take the time to empty your bladder completely. This will reduce the need for subsequent trips to the toilet. Talk with your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you're taking; some may contribute to the problem. Your doctor may be able to adjust dosages or change your schedule for taking these drugs, or he or she may prescribe different medications that cause fewer urinary problems. Avoid drinking fluids in the evening, particularly caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. Both can affect the muscle tone of the bladder, and both stimulate the kidneys to produce urine, leading to nighttime urination. For more on advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate diseases, buy the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: News and Views from the Harvard Health Blog Folic acid, a B vitamin, lowers stroke risk in people with high blood pressure If you have high blood pressure, be sure you're getting plenty of the B vitamin known as folate. A new study indicates that doing so may lower your odds of having a stroke, an often disabling or deadly event linked to high blood pressure. Biomarkers for better prostate cancer screening Biomarkers are "chemicals" that can indicate both normal and abnormal processes in the body. One of the most famous is prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The PSA test, which detects abnormally high blood levels of PSA, has been used for decades to screen for prostate cancer and potentially catch it early. There are two problems with the PSA test. First, high PSA levels can tell you that something is going on with the prostate — but that "something" isn't necessarily cancer. High levels may mean other benign prostate conditions. Second, when high PSA levels do turn out to be the result of prostate cancer, the PSA level alone won't tell you which cancers are aggressive and need treatment, and which are slow-growing and can be managed more conservatively. Fortunately, rapid advances in analytical methods are identifying potentially new and better biomarkers to test for prostate cancer. If successful, they could transform how prostate cancer is detected, diagnosed, and treated. Here's a quick list of some of the most promising options: Urine-based biomarkers. The prostate sheds material that can be detected and measured in the urine. New urine tests can detect changes in genes and biomarkers that are specific to prostate cancer. The results of these new tests can help pinpoint whether a biopsy is necessary. Genetic tests of prostate tissue. Newer and more sophisticated tests that look for markers of specific genes can help doctors distinguish between slow-growing and more aggressive forms of prostate cancer. These tests can even detect hidden cancers in men whose biopsies were negative. Circulating tumor cells. Cancer spreads when tumor cells break away, get swept up into the bloodstream, and start to grow in other parts of the body. A new "liquid biopsy" uses a simple blood test to capture and measure circulating tumor cells and their corresponding telltale markers. While this test isn't readily available yet, it could someday reduce the need for follow-up biopsies and help determine when prostate cancer treatment is working. For more on advances in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, including more details on the latest advances in biomarkers, buy the 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Featured in this issue 2015 Annual Report on Prostate Diseases Featured content: • Monitoring prostate health • Prostate cancer • An international perspective • Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia) • Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) •  ... and more! Click here to read more » Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. Visit our website at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family. PHONE ORDERS - please call our toll-free number: 1-877-649-9457. 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