UL academic awarded grant for prostate research

Research on a medical condition in older men which causes difficulty in passing urine, is to be undertaken at the University of Limerick.

Dr Niall Kelly has been awarded €250,000 by the Health Research Board (HRB) to undertake his PhD research into Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) which affects 50% of men over the age of 50.

Dr Kelly, who works at the Dept of Urology, University Hospital Limerick, said: “BPH is a condition that will affect the majority of all men at some point in their lives. BPH results in the enlargement of the prostate gland which affects the ability to pass urine in a normal way.”

BPH affects 50% of men over the age of 50 and more than 70% of men over the age of 70.

“Treatment of the condition involves the use of medical therapies and, in some cases, surgery. The processes which cause this condition are still not fully understood. The management of BPH is of major public health significance and is the source of considerable expenditure and is estimated to cost approximately €1bn in Europe each year.

“Through this study, we hope to get a better understanding of how BPH develops and how it affects men.”