Association between oxidative balance score and benign prostatic hyperplasia: an analysis based on the NHANES from 2003 to 2008

Purpose The pathophysiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a prevalent condition among aging males, remains unclear. Given emerging evidence implicating oxidative stress (OS) in prostatic pathogenesis, this study investigated the association between the comprehensive Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) and BPH prevalence.Materials and methods The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database was selected to determine BPH using a self-report questionnaire, and multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore the correlation between OBS and BPH. Smoothed curve fitting, threshold effect analysis, and stratified analysis were performed.Results The present study, which ultimately included 621 participants, showed that after adjusting for potential confounders, an increase in OBS was associated with a slightly increased risk of developing BPH compared with the lowest tertile (T1) (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02,1.13, P = 0.015; OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.17, P = 0.029). Smoothed curve fitting showed that when OBS was >21, the risk of developing BPH was associated with a 27% increase in the risk (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.43).Conclusion This study reveals a significant non-linear association between OBS and BPH: when OBS > 21, higher OBS scores are associated with an increased risk of BPH.