As men get older, the prostate gland enlarges. Since the prostate gland surrounds the urethra (water pipe as it joins the bladder), this may give rise to symptoms such as difficulty in passing urine, going to toilet more frequently, having to push hard to start passing urine, getting up at night to pass urine and a poor flow. These symptoms are collectively known as "Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms" or LUTS.

The UrEpik study, which is a European wide study including patients from Birmingham, UK, showed that incidence of moderate to severe LUTS were by age group 10.6% (40–49 years); 19.0% (50–59 years); 30.5% (60–69 years) and 40.4% (70–79 years). As shown by the study, it is a very common problem affecting men over the age of 50 years and gradually worsens with age.